Saturday 24 May 2014

UTME Past Questions now available online (in CBT format) - Earn N10,000 by referring candidates

ASSURE Educational Service, an indigenous educational company in Nigeria, with special affinity for online based teaching and learning has come up with a new innovation to assist prospective JAMB (Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board) candidates access and attempt UTME (Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination) Past Questions online.

Candidates will have unlimited access to all the questions posted on the online server and students can as well attempt the questions as many times as possible to ascertain their reediness for the yearly examination.

According to the Tests Administrator of ASSURE Educational Services, Mr. Sola Ogundeko, more past questions are being uploaded to the server daily for candidates to have access to more questions. Candidates will see their scores immediate the Finish Quiz button is clicked and can view their performance in each of the questions answered by clicking on the View Questions button at the end of the quiz as show below:



In the review mode, questions answered correctly by the candidate appears in GREEN, while wrong answers will have appears in RED, and the correct answer appears in GREEN as shown below:



This according to Mr. Sola Ogundeko, will help prospective candidates to identify their areas of strengths and weaknesses and where to concentrates to aim higher scores in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME)

A one-time access fee of N1,000 (One Thousand Naira) will be required for candidate to access the online UTME past questions. The fee expires in 30 days.

According to the Tests Administrator, candidate should follow the instructions (steps) listed below:
  1. Pay the access fee of N1,000 to any Guaranty Trust Bank, Account Name: ASSURE Educational Services, Account Number: 0149891487
  2. Visit www.utme.assure.com.ng and click on the Register Here link on the menu bar to fill the online registration form.
  3. Candidate will receive their login details (i.e. username and password) within 24 hours, and can have unlimited access to all the past questions posted on the website for 30 days.


ASSURE Educational Services is calling on interested individuals or company who wish to participate in her Referrer Program and make money by referring candidates to www.utme.assure.com.ng. A referrer earns 10% of the access fee paid by each candidate he/she referred to the website. Visit our Referrer Page to read more and apply if interested.

For enquiries, contact
The Tests Administrator,
ASSURE Educational Services
07063397940, 08050701465
admin@utme.assure.com.ng

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Friday 23 May 2014

UPDATES: #BringBackOurGirls Aso Rock protest march – (and Pictures from the rally)



18.06
Team of Government Officials met the protesters half-way
Team of Government Officials met the protesters half-way
17.56
Unable to access Aso Rock, protesters plead for another opportunity to engage the president  saying they were not satisfied with the response they got from government officials that came to meet them half way.
“We went out of our way that we must have this meeting with Mr. President. And the answers we have received is inadequate,” Oby Ezekwesili said.
“Please let Mr. President know that the answers we received is not enough. Tell him also that he also missed a colossal opportunity to address his citizens on a crucial issue.
“Our proposal is: that we will demand of Mr. President another opportunity of addressing the issues that the citizens have put before him as the commander-in -chief.
“We also want the delegates to tell the president that we hold the office of the president in very high esteem,” she said.
17.46
The protest ends in Eagle Square, two kilometres away from the intended Aso Rock destination. Protesters disperse, others return to Unity Fountain singing solidarity songs.
17.22
The questions protesters want government officials to answer include:
Why has the president not visited Chibok?
Where were the security operatives when Chibok was attacked for four hours even though there was a state of emergency and many more?
17.17
Protesters are still at the Eagles Square, about two kilometres away from Aso Rock. They read their demands, in turns, to the government representatives that met them. It appears the protest will terminate at this point, but the organizers are not saying anything yet.
17.00
The Police Commissioner in Abuja, Joseph Mbu, who had earlier threatened to stop the protest has been very cooperative with the protesters. In Eagle Square, he told protesters sitting on the floor that he was supporting them, though in uniform.
Mr. Mbu also ordered his orderly to get cold water for the women.
16.29
At the Eagle Square, close to the presidential villa entrance, the protesters are met by a team of government officials including the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Bala Mohammed, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Pius Anyim, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Reuben Abati, and others.
The protesters’ initial destination – the presidential villa – is still about two kilometres away.
16.24
This is how the protesters will introduce themselves when they eventually get to Aso Rock.
Who are we?
Crowd: Chibok family
What are we demanding?
Crowd : #BringBackOurGirls Now and Alive
16.22
Police officers barricade the road leading into Aso Rock, as expected. But Assistant Inspector General  Suleiman Abba told reporters the protester have been cleared to march into Aso Rock.
16.16
There is another stop at the Eagle Square area. Oby Ezekwesili briefs the crowd on purpose of the protest and need for discipline once more.
16.03
The protesters have just been informed by the police that link roads have been blocked to enable unhindered thoroughfare for the protest. With a presidential permission granted for the protest, the police is in full cooperation with the protesters.
15.51
The protesters have moved about 150 meters away from starting point. The march is halted as Oby Ezekwesili addresses the crowd on purpose and discipline.
15.47
The protest takes its first step away from the Unity Fountain starting point. Protesters are still in lines but organizers are working hard to keep it that way.
15.44
“We are going to be a model of a discipline, nobody will talk to the president rudely. Our questions are simple and straight. If anyone wearing the reflectors say to you, you are out of line, please get back to the line,”  Oby Ezekwesili tells the crowd as she continues to ensure discipline.
15.42
Oby Ezekwesili has just announced to the crowd that the president is ready to listen to the protesters. The crowd is seemingly impressed by that announcement as they instantly began to cheer.
15.32
Just before the protest starts proper, Oby Ezekwesili warns the protesters: “Please do not come here and chant your war song, we will only use our solidarity chant; #BringBackOurGirls ‘Now and Alive’.”
Mrs Ezekwesili is trying hard to ensure protesters disciplined. “Anybody who does not respect rules belong to the old Nigeria; please respect all the rules,” she pleads.
15.30
The march organizes as it gets set for kickoff.
15.27
15.26
Follow Premium Times on Instagram for real live images from the protest.
15.24
Organizers are still distributing protest T-shirts to the crowd. In between, Oby Ezekwesili would chant, “show your neighbour your touch of red”.
15.23
The crowd is asked to queue in seven rows as Oby Ezekwesili reads out the rules for the protest march.
1: Be on a single line and maintain your line.
2. Make sure you have a touch of red, if you do not have one a red T-shirt will be given to you soon.
3. Look at your neighbours and report any suspicious person or item.
5. Do not carry any thing that will inconvenience you.
6. Do not carry any kind of metal that can be seen as a weapon.
15.21
There are close to one thousand people gather at the Unity Fountain starting point of the protest. Oby Ezekwesili, one of the leaders of the protest, has addressed the protesters while others distribute red T-shirts for the campaign.
The march is yet to move towards its destination.


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Monday 19 May 2014

Ryan Giggs announces his retirement


Giggs

 Manchester United winger Ryan Giggs, has announced that his playing days have come to an end and he will now become assistant to new manager, Louis van Gaal.

Giggs, 40, is the most decorated player in United’s history and made 963 appearances for the Red Devils – the most by any player for a single club. From March 1991 when he made his debut at 17, the Welshman has won 34 trophies, including 13 Premier League titles and two Champions League trophies.

He was appointed as interim manager after David Moyes was sacked in April and played his final game in the 3-1 win over Hull City.

“Today is a fantastic day for Manchester United,” Giggs wrote in an open letter to the fans. “Louis van Gaal is a great appointment and let me begin by telling you how delighted I am to be working with someone of his calibre. His credentials are second to none and I’m positive the club will thrive under his leadership over the coming years.

“I would also like to take this opportunity to announce my retirement from professional football and embark upon a new and exciting chapter in my life, as assistant manager of Manchester United. I am immensely proud, honoured and fortunate to have represented the biggest club in the world 963 times and Wales 64 times.

“My dream was always to play for Manchester United, and although it saddens me to know I won’t be pulling on a United jersey again as a player, I have been lucky enough to have fulfilled that dream playing with some of the best players in the world, working under an incredible manager in Sir Alex Ferguson, and most of all, playing for the greatest fans in world football. I have always felt and appreciated your support.

“I want to also give a huge thanks to the backroom staff and support teams we have and have had at Manchester United over the years. I would not have achieved the success I have without your continuing dedication and commitment to creating the best environment to enable the players to thrive. I would not have won 34 trophies in my career without you. I would also like to say a special thanks to my friends and family for all your love and support.

“For me, today is a new chapter filled with many emotions – immense pride, sadness, but most of all, excitement towards the future. United fans I hope will share and echo my belief that the club, the management and owners, are doing everything they can to return this great club to where it belongs, and I hope to be there every step of the way. To the greatest fans in world football, thank you, I have loved every minute of playing for you and representing the biggest and best club in the world.”

ANNOUNCEMENT: 1. Access and attempt UTME Past Questions Online in CBT format - Earn up to N10,000 when you refer 50 candidates to our portal - visit www.utme.assure.com.ng 2. Download unlimited e-books in various disciplines for FREE! Visit www.gablibrary.com.ng

Nigeria Government Confirms New Boko Haram Threats to Schools

 PRESS BRIEFING BY MR. MIKE OMERI, CORDINATOR, NCIMC AT THE NATIONAL BRIEFING CENTRE, ABUJA ON MONDAY MAY 19, 2014.

1. President’s Visit to Paris, France

The visit of the President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan (GCFR) to Paris, France last week for an international coalition against Boko Haram is part of the effort of the government to stem the tide of insecurity in the country. By this action, the threat of Boko Haram is not just a Nigerian problem, but a regional challenge. Accordingly, Mr President reiterates his commitment to providing total security for all Nigerians.

2. Bomb Blast in Kano on Sunday May 18, 2014.

We can confirm to you the reported bomb blast in Kano, although no one has claimed responsibility. Another attempted attack was foiled this morning by members of the security forces also in Kano. This underscores the heinous nature of the activities of Boko Haram for which the government has continually advised Nigerians to be security conscious of their environment.

3. Visits to Chibok by Media Organisations and Other Persons

While the Centre appreciates the effort of the media at adequately informing and educating the world on the current security problems in the country, we wish to inform all media organizations that the security situation around Chibok is still fluid. Presently, the affected location is an active crime scene and a military operational area.

Therefore, much as the Centre does not intend to restrict the activities of the media in the performance of their duty, it is strongly advised that media organizations must not take steps that will jeopardize the safety of their staff or compromise the crime scene. Any media organization wishing to visit Chibok should approach the appropriate authorities for guidance and advice, in the interest of their safety.

4. New Boko Haram Threats to Schools

This report has been confirmed in Benue State, but there are grounds to suspect that the reported threats issued by Boko Hram to Schools in Makurdi must be the handiwork of mischief makers. However, the security authorities have been alerted and the necessary personnel deployed to the appropriate locations within the metropolis.

ANNOUNCEMENT: 1. Access and attempt UTME Past Questions Online in CBT format - Earn up to N10,000 when you refer 50 candidates to our portal - visit www.utme.assure.com.ng 2. Download unlimited e-books in various disciplines for FREE! Visit www.gablibrary.com.ng

Official: Manchester United appoint Van Gaal

United appoint Van Gaal

Louis van Gaal vowed to "make history" after being confirmed as Manchester United's new manager on a big news day at Old Trafford. Van Gaal's long-awaited appointment was confirmed alongside that of Ryan Giggs as his assistant, with the Welshman ending his glittering playing career as a result.

Van Gaal has signed a three-year deal and will take up his post when his duties as the Netherlands coach end after this summer's FIFA World Cup™. But although the tournament in Brazil will now command Van Gaal's immediate intention, the 62-year-old has already spoken of his determination to make an impact at United.

Van Gaal said: "It was always a wish for me to work in the Premier League. To work as a manager for Manchester United, the biggest club in the world, makes me very proud. I have managed in games at Old Trafford before and know what an incredible arena Old Trafford is and how passionate and knowledgeable the fans are. This club has big ambitions. I too have big ambitions. Together I'm sure we will make history."

United immediately identified former Ajax, Barcelona, AZ Alkmaar and Bayern Munich coach Van Gaal as a top target after David Moyes was sacked in April. His vast experience of both winning trophies and handling top-level players, combined with his availability, made him an ideal candidate.

Negotiations took time due to his commitments with Holland but, having voiced his desire to manage in England and spoken of his high regard for United, an appointment always seemed likely. The Dutchman, previously linked with Tottenham Hotspur, boasts a rich coaching pedigree having won league titles with each of his clubs as well as the UEFA Champions League with Ajax. He is also now in his second spell as the Netherlands manager.

United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward said: "In Louis van Gaal, we have secured the services of one of the outstanding managers in the game today. He has achieved many things in his career to date and Old Trafford provides him with a fitting stage on which to write new chapters in the Manchester United story.
This club has big ambitions. I too have big ambitions. Together I'm sure we will make history.
Louis van Gaal on taking over as Manchester United manager

"Everyone is very excited about this new phase in the club's history. His track record of success in winning leagues and cups across Europe throughout his career makes him the perfect choice for us. People know him as a larger than life character but I have also been extremely impressed by his intelligence, thoughtful approach to the role and his diligence. I'm looking forward to working with him."

United will hope the appointment can lift the club after a relatively poor 2013/14 season in which they finished seventh in the English Premier League - their lowest position since 1990 - and failed to qualify for the Champions League. The elevation of Giggs from his previous role as player-coach is also likely to prove popular.

Experienced Giggs ready for coaching role

The 40-year-old's future was thought to have been a key part of discussions with Van Gaal as the club were keen to retain his services in a coaching capacity. Giggs, who retires as a player after an illustrious career which began in 1991, stepped in as interim manager for the final four games of last season following Moyes' exit.

Giggs, who made 963 United appearances and won 13 Premier League titles, said: "I am thrilled to have the chance to serve as assistant manager. Louis van Gaal is a world-class coach and I know I will learn a lot about coaching from being able to observe and contribute at such close quarters. Manchester United has been a huge part of my life and I'm delighted to be able to continue that relationship in such a key role."

In addition to Giggs, Netherlands goalkeeping coach Frans Hoek and coach Marcel Bout, a specialist in opposition scouting, will join the backroom staff. As yet there has been no announcement from United concerning the future of Moyes' former assistants Phil Neville and Chris Woods.

With Van Gaal now due to travel to Portugal for a training camp with Holland, he is unlikely to be presented by United at a news conference until after the World Cup. When he arrives he is thought likely to make a number of changes to the squad.

Some will be necessary anyway, notably in defence, following the departures of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic. Club owners Joel and Avie Glazer are convinced Van Gaal is the right man for the job.

Joel Glazer said: "He has an outstanding pedigree as a coach, both as a man who motivates his teams to win trophies and as someone who believes in giving young players a chance to prove their worth. I am sure he will make a big impression on the club, the players and the fans."

Avie Glazer said: "Louis joins us at an exciting time and has already communicated some great ideas for how the club can move forward. The board is right behind him in his plans and everyone here is already looking forward to the start of next season."

 ANNOUNCEMENT: 1. Access and attempt UTME Past Questions Online in CBT format - Earn up to N10,000 when you refer 50 candidates to our portal - visit www.utme.assure.com.ng 2. Download unlimited e-books in various disciplines for FREE! Visit www.gablibrary.com.ng

Photos of Explosives-Rigged Mitsubishi Car Targeted At Kano












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Sunday 18 May 2014

My son was murdered — Falode


Falode and son

 Broadcaster Aisha Falode, tells ARUKAINO UMUKORO that her 19-year-old son, Toba, who died in Dubai on February 15, was murdered

Seven months ago, in October last year, when 19-year-old Toba Falode left Nigeria for Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, his mother, Aisha Falode had high hopes for him.

Toba was admitted to study Audio Production at the SAE Institute, Dubai. Fondly known as “Tyler Hendrix Fray,” he is described by friends as a young, talented and inspirational musician, who was a gift to his family and friends.

Sadly, on February 15, that gift was snatched away from a family and his mother’s embrace by the cold hands of death in faraway Dubai. The official cause of death reportedly stated that Toba died as a result of ‘a fall from a great height and the impact from the fall.’

Until his death, Toba lived on the 17th floor (Apartment 1703) in Manchester Towers, Dubai Marina, Dubai.

But after a searching trip to Dubai in April, a mother’s grief was aggravated by new findings that her son might have been murdered. Falode and her lawyers from the Festus Keyamo chambers have disputed the official cause of death.

In an interview with our correspondent, Falode said the police in Dubai, an emirate in the United Arab Emirates, were trying to protect her son’s killers.

She said, “Where they found my son’s body was too far away from the building for somebody that fell by himself. It was about 18 to 20 metres from the building. The police (in Dubai) have not done a proper investigation on my son’s death because they said everybody in the apartment gave the same account of what happened, which was that my son was alone on the balcony and he sat on the railing and was swinging back and forth when he fell. The police did not tell us the whole truth and were trying to cover up for one of his friends who is Saudi.”

According to Falode, some of Toba’s friends (names withheld) were also present in the apartment when the incident happened. The grieving mother said she had gathered evidence which proved her son was murdered.

And it may have been over a love triangle.

She said, “Toba’s other friends who were in the apartment when the incident occurred told me that they noticed that the Saudi boy had splatters of blood on his T-shirt, a cut on his fingers and blood on his knuckles. In panic, they rushed to the balcony and saw that my son was no longer there. So, they knew that something had happened. The Saudi kept telling them that they shouldn’t worry about it (my son’s death); because the maximum he would do was 25 years in jail, and that he would take care of it.

“They said my son and the Saudi had an altercation over his girlfriend, a Briton. The Saudi had claimed that his girlfriend was cheating on him with my son. But he (one of Toba’s friend) said my son was only being protective of the girl.”

In two separate signed and hand-written statements, dated April 20 and April 21 respectively, obtained by SUNDAY PUNCH, Toba’s friends (names withheld) detailed the events that happened in the apartment prior to his death.

At the end of one of the statements, dated April 21, one of them wrote: “I remember that the position that Tyler was from the building was very far off from the building (apartment). It was obvious that an external force caused this.”

In the other statement, dated April 20, another of Toba’s friends who was also present in his apartment, corroborated the earlier statement. At the end, the statement, he added that the Saudi had blood on his shirt but he was ‘never taken for investigation or examination.

Falode pleaded with the Federal Government to intervene on the matter and ensure that justice is done.

“No American or British citizen can be slaughtered anywhere in the world without their government asking questions. We can’t call ourselves ‘Giant of Africa’ if our citizens are killed in other countries, and yet we have not heard of any single investigation by our government. It is indeed very sad for me. This is one death too many,” she lamented, and urged the FG to prevail on the Dubai authorities to re-open the investigation into the case.

“The government needs to see this as a justice for a Nigerian. It is very painful for any parent to lose a 19-year-old son who has so much promise and future ahead of him. It is also to prevent another Nigerian from dying this way. If we had a good system in Nigeria, why would we be sending our children abroad to study? It’s not about my son anymore, but other Nigerians who still have the intention of sending their children to Dubai.”

Many have not stopped talking about Toba’s sterling quality. A testimonial from one of Toba’s teachers in SAE read, “I had the pleasure of meeting Tyler from the start of his educational experience at SAE Dubai. As he walked into my class the first day, he instantly stood out the most, always with a smile, a bright sense of humour, highly active, engaging and always asking the right questions, searching for answers to satisfy creative thirst to express and share his love of music and life.

“I would spot Tyler numerous times in the studios around campus with friends and classmates collaborating and putting tracks together, always ready and willing to help others with projects and issues they may face. These qualities reflected on everyone and made the best out of every opportunity. He was an inspiration to all that knew him.”

In recent times, there have been several cases of Nigerian students who died in foreign countries.

In March, the House of Representatives moved a motion to conduct a public hearing on the death of Nigerian students abroad.

In a motion, the Chairman, House Committee on Diaspora Affairs, Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said Ghana, Russia, United Arab Emirates, Malaysia and South Africa were listed among the nations where Nigerian students had been killed recently. Dabiri-Erewa noted that in Ghana, four Nigerian students had been killed since October 2013

For Aisha Falode and her family, a dream has been cruelly extinguished and she hopes that justice would be done.

“My son is gone and I can’t bring him back, but it is very painful to lose a 19-year-old who has so much promise and so much future. It is also to prevent other Nigerians from dying this way,” she told SUNDAY PUNCH.

When contacted on the telephone, Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, Ambassador Ibrahim Auwalu, told our correspondent that the Federal Government is taking steps to get to the root of the matter.

While he noted that Falode had contacted him on telephone earlier, he said the embassy received an official letter from her lawyers in the first week of May, although it was dated in April.

“Although Aisha and I had been speaking on telephone, I did not know she had already come to Dubai. I waited for her to contact me, so that I could also meet her physically and personally condole with her. United Arab Emirates is a federation, and each of those emirates has its own legal system and police, and anything we do in the UAE has to be through the ministry of foreign affairs. I’ve been in touch with the ministry of foreign affairs. We want to handle this as comprehensibly as possible because it is now a government matter.”

Auwalu noted that the embassy sent the police report and forensic lab report to Falode as requested.

He said, “These two we have done. We are now waiting to put all the parts together and then we would seek audience, either with the Dubai police or with the appropriate authorities.  We have taken the matter seriously. The government of Nigeria would get to the bottom of it. That is why we are here, it is our job. I am telling Nigerians that we would do everything that is legally possible to get to the bottom of this.”
ANNOUNCEMENT: 1. Access and attempt UTME Past Questions Online in CBT format - Earn up to N10,000 when you refer 50 candidates to our portal - visit www.utme.assure.com.ng 2. Download unlimited e-books in various disciplines for FREE! Visit www.gablibrary.com.ng

Controversy over fresh test into unity schools


Pupils taking common entrance examination

 In order to achieve merit-based admissions, candidates who took the last common entrance examination into unity schools are to take another test, writes GBENGA ADENIJI

There has been growing concern over the planned conduct of fresh test for pupils who passed the last common entrance examination. The National Examinations Council is prepared to conduct another test for the successful candidates to select the best for admission into Federal Government Colleges otherwise called unity schools.

The Supervising Minister of Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike, made the disclosure to the News Agency of Nigeria, during the monitoring of the examination in some schools in the FCT.

Also, the Registrar of NECO, Prof. Promise Okpala, told NAN that the increase in enrolment of pupils for the examination this year was a proof of parents’ confidence in the quality of education service offered by the schools.

He said, ‘’A total of 95,926 candidates registered for the Common Entrance Examination into Federal Government Colleges in 2014, as against 88,444 in 2013. 18,726 candidates registered for the examination in the FCT alone, while Lagos State had the highest number of enrolment with 26,926 candidates. There was a decrease in some northern states, with Borno having 218; Yobe, 176; and Adamawa, 318. Zamfara recorded the lowest number of enrolment with only 113 candidates.’’

Reacting to the development, Principal, King’s College, Lagos, Mr. Dele Olapeju, who described himself as an advocate of second examination for candidates of common entrance, said the move was not new.

He said it was important for another examination to be conducted for the successful candidates under the purview of the Federal Government after the one conducted by the external body.

Olapeju said, ‘It is important to conduct another test for quality assurance. We know that some parents assist their children to obtain jumbo marks in examination such as the common entrance. But when you say there are two separate tests, parents will not be desperate to do anything to make their children score high marks because at the end of the day, there is still another test. It is a simple logic.’’

He also said cultism and unserious students are declining in the university system after the introduction of post-UME across universities in the country after the conduct of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination. ‘‘If a pupil is sure of his or her quality, let him or her face the second test,’’ he added.

An educationist, Dr. Ademola Azeez, however said a second test was  strange to Federal Government Colleges.

Noting that the guidelines on how the examination would be conducted should have been stated from the beginning, Azeez, added that the conduct of a second test was a manifestation of corruption in the education system.

He stated, ‘‘If a pupil performed well in the first examination, there is no need to subject him or her to another test. Such a pupil should be deemed to have performed well in the first instance and admitted to the school of his or her choice. The idea of conducting another test for successful pupils would be open to all sort of manipulation.’’

Also, Proprietress, Springside Schools, Arepo, in Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State, Mrs. Titilayo Adetomiwa, stated that the second test was a laudable step that would bring sanity to education at the foundation level.

She however said such could be achieved if the second test was taken only by candidates who passed the first one. According to her, that is when one can genuinely justify the second test designed to ensure merit.

Adetomiwa said, ‘’Only those who performed well in the common entrance examination should be allowed to take the second test. This must be done with all sincerity.’’

On its part, Education Rights Campaign said it was opposed to double examination for pupils and students in both secondary and tertiary levels because it would reduce chances of admission.

The group, speaking through its National Coordinator, Mr. Taiwo Hassan, added that the second test would not bring out the best in the pupils.

He said, ‘‘We agree with the Federal Government that most times, pupils and students receiving secondary and tertiary education are not capable enough. But that situation is a product of the neglect of the sector over the years. It is not the fault of the scholars. Conducting a second test for the pupils will not bring out the best in them. What the government should do is to provide all the needed manpower and basic facilities in the schools and admit those who passed the first examination within the stipulated standard regulations.’’

Hassan further said the second test was designed to reduce the number of intakes into unity schools because they are not capable of admitting most of the pupils just like universities across the country.

In the same vein, a  former Dean, Faculty of Education, Lagos State University, Prof. Ademola Onifade, said one of the problems confronting candidates seeking admission into secondary or tertiary schools was their subjection to many examinations. He noted that such drains them academically and psychologically.

Onifade said, ‘‘In the US, the Graduate Record Examinations is a standard examination for those seeking admission into graduate colleges while the Graduate Management Admission Test is meant to test a candidate’s overall mental and quantitative skills for admission into a graduate management programme. These examinations are general. But in Nigeria, there are too many examinations for admission-seekers. This kind of situation is capable of draining them psychologically. One examination is enough for them and there is no need for another one.’’

According to him, the pupils who took the last common entrance examination should be screened with the results of the examination. Onifade also stated that the results should be enough to achieve the merit standard the Federal Government was hoping to achieve with the second test.

He added that when pupils are overstressed, given their ages, it would be difficult to get the best performance from them.

However, Wike, who spoke to NAN through the Director, Basic and Secondary Education in the Federal Ministry of Education, Daniel Uwaezuoke, further said the fresh test was in line with government’s promise to ensure that 60 per cent of admissions into Federal Government Colleges were on merit. He added that 40 per cent would be allocated on the basis of quota system.

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Patience Jonathan influences confab


Mrs. Patience Jonathan

 The wife of President Goodluck Jonathan, Patience, may have forgotten her dramatic appearance on the television while interrogating some officials over the abducted schoolgirls in Borno State; but the impact of  her speech during the dramatic event still lingers and has spread to the national conference.

As soon as any delegate arrived, his colleagues would ask, “Na only you waka come?” Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State was ushered into the room where he made presentations to members of the Committee on Civil Society, Labour, Youths and Sports, and some of the delegates asked: ‘na only you waka come?’

Meanwhile,when, Adams Oshiomhole, narrated his ordeal before members of one of the committees, some shook their heads in disbelief and pity.  According to the comrade governor, he was ageing faster than when he was leading the Nigeria Labour Congress.

Oshiomhole said some governors were angry with him over his stand on the minimum wage and that they have asked him to stop talking like a labour leader. But he said he would never support the agitation that the minimum wage be moved from the Exclusive List to the Concurrent List.

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Jonathan suspends 2015 declaration


President Goodluck Jonathan

 The elaborate plan being put in place for President Goodluck Jonathan to declare his bid to run for second term in office has been put on hold, SUNDAY PUNCH learnt on Friday.

As part of the preparations, many groups had been formed with the aim of selling the candidature of the President to Nigerians.

The groups, which have been placing paid advertorials on national television stations and newspapers, were put together by supporters of the President with the aim of working towards his declaration, which was planned to hold in May.

However, the current security challenge facing the country has affected the plan, as the President’s supporters believe such a declaration will be ill-timed.

The sacking of the Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs, Ahmed Gulak, was also said to have come to the leadership and members of the Goodluck Support Group, being headed by Gulak, as a shock.

The former Speaker of the Adamawa State House of Assembly, who was said to be angry with the sack, has also resigned his position as the national co-ordinator of the GSG.

His deputy, Dr. Eddy Awofeso, who is acting as the national coordinator of the group, however, said Gulak’s resignation would not affect the workings of the group.

Awofeso, who spoke with our correspondent in Abuja, defended the refusal of the President to make his intention to run for a second term public now, saying the security situation in the country needed his attention.

He said, “There are about 3,000 groups working for the re-election of the President and they are all members of the Goodluck Support Group. We are still working together.

“Yes, we didn’t expect the resignation of the national co-ordinator when it came, but I’m acting now.

“However, we may need to appoint someone else in the position for the purpose of balancing.

“Concerning the declaration of the President, it will come but not now. The security challenge facing the country needs his total attention and that is what he is doing now. We all need to cooperate with him in this war against terrorism.”

It was also learnt that the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party had also postponed the party’s unity rallies in some states.

The President ought to have led the leadership of the ruling party to Lafia, Nasarawa State capital, on Saturday to receive defectors including Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura’s deputy, Dameshi Luka, who moved to the PDP on March 4, as well as Senator Solomon Ewuga, and some members of the House of Representatives like Mr. Joseph Kigbu, Mr. David Ombugadu and Mr. Ishaq Kana.

It was also gathered that the President had ordered the postponement of other rallies billed for Port Harcourt, Rivers State and Ibadan, Oyo State.

Meanwhile, the main group that was responsible for the financing of the President’s election in 2011, Neighbour to Neighbour, has changed its name to National Social Initiate.

The defunct group was headed by Ms. Stella Oduah, who after the election, was appointed minister of aviation by the President.

Oduah was however sacked following a series of scandals that trailed her term in office, which included the purchase of two bulletproof cars at N255m.

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10 million Nigerian kids out of school — Report


kids.jpg

 With 10 million children out of school, Nigeria currently has the highest number of kids in the world without education, the United Nations Children’s Fund has said.

According to UNICEF, almost one of three primary-school aged children and one in four secondary-school aged children is not enrolled.

“In many states, girls are twice as likely to be out of school as boys. In some parts of Nigeria, only five per cent of the poorest young women are literate. Given these challenges, it is disturbing that the girls were abducted to prevent them from attending school, UNICEF said in a recent statement condemning the abduction.

Since 2012, Boko Haram has targeted schools in northern Nigeria. Dozens of schools have been attacked or burnt down. In a single attack in February in Yobe State, 45 children were killed by the insurgents.

UNICEF, in its statement, said recent kidnappings and violent attacks had made it difficult for children in northern Nigeria to get education, as thousands of families are fleeing their homes and pulling their children out of school.

In the last three months alone, the United Nation’s organisation reported that at least 15,000 children in northern Nigeria had stopped attending classes.

“It’s heart-stopping data,” UNICEF’s chief of child protection, Susan Bissell said.

The organisation’s programmes in Nigeria focus on the problems of violence and abuse against children in schools and work to address the issues of girls’ education and out-of-school children. The UNICEF-supported Girls’ Education Project aims to give 1 million girls access to better quality education in northern Nigeria-through increased enrolment, scholarships for female teachers and the establishment of safe spaces for girls.

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Boko Haram writes school, plots fresh abductions


 Members of the boko haram sect

 We need schoolboys to wed Chibok girls – Sect

Thirty-four days after the fundamentalist Islamic sect, Boko Haram, abducted over 200 schoolgirls from Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, it has threatened to kidnap more pupils.

The United States of America, France, Britain, Israel and Canada are among the foreign countries that have pledged to help Nigeria find the schoolgirls that were kidnapped by Boko Haram on April 14.

The pupils were kidnapped in the night and their hostels were burnt. However, while Boko Haram transported them in trucks to its Sambisa Forest stronghold, over 50 of the schoolgirls escaped from the sect.

There have been reports that some of the girls have been seen being moved out of Nigeria. Other reports have said the girls were seen in the northern parts of the Central African Republic where an Islamic militia, Seleka, holds sway.

Last week, the leader of the sect, Abubakar Shekau, in a video asked for the release of Boko Haram detainees in exchange for the pupils. The Federal Government turned down the request.

On Saturday, the Principal of Government College, Makurdi, Mr. Godfrey Ugudu, revealed that the school had received letters from Boko Haram threatening to attack the school.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Ugudu, who announced this at a news conference in Makurdi, added that the school received two letters which had the same content on May 14.

“It is true that we saw two letters informing us of the intention of the sect to invade our school on Friday or Monday by Boko Haram.

“The letters were dated May 14, 2014. The sect stated that they were coming on either of the two days to abduct our boys whom they would marry to the secondary school girls abducted in Chibok.”

The school principal added that in the letter, Boko Haram also threatened to arrest another nearby school.

“In the letter, we were asked to inform the Mount Saint Gabriel Secondary School opposite us to also get prepared as they promised to invade the school too.

“We immediately alerted the police and the commissioner for education. A report has been made to the governor on the issue.

“The two letters, which were written in pidgin English, were sighted inside one of the classrooms and the second one was slipped into the staff room,” he said.

The principal commended the government and security operatives in the state for their prompt response to the issue.

He said measures had been put in place to ensure the safety of the school children, adding that he had informed the Principal of Mount Saint Gabriel.

NAN reports that about 500 out of about 700 students of the college are living in the school while Mount Saint Gabriel is purely a boarding school.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Dan Ezeala, confirmed the report adding that police were on top of the situation.

When SUNDAY PUNCH contacted the Director of Defence Information, Maj. Gen Chris Olukolade, he asked our correspondent to speak to the police and the school authorities.

“I think you should talk to the police and the schools. The security agencies are in the states are supposed to be operating,” he said.

The Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, could not be reached for comments as calls made to his phone failed to connect. A text message sent to his phone was not responded to as of the time of filing this report.

Meanwhile, the drones and other surveillance aircraft deployed by the US government to search for the over 200 abducted pupils have yet to locate them.

While promising to intensify efforts to find the schoolgirls, US Defence Secretary, Chuk Hagel, told the Cable Network News, that the pupils had not been seen.

“I have seen no intelligence come back that I am aware of that shows that we’ve located those girls,” he reportedly said on Wednesday.

This came amid reports that the US would not share intelligence data with Nigeria.

Pentagon spokesman, Col. Steve Warren, was quoted to have said the US was disposed to sharing commercial satellite imagery with Nigeria, but not raw military data.

“At this point, we are not sharing raw intelligence data,” Warren said. He did not give reasons for this. But the US is known not to share intelligence with governments its officials adjudge to be careless with intelligence information.

Efforts by SUNDAY PUNCH to find out if there had been any new development did not yield results.

The Public Affairs Officer of the US Embassy, Sani Mohammed, on Friday asked our correspondent to send his question via email, but as of the time this report was filed, he had yet to reply to the mail.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the National Information Centre, Mr. Mike Omeri, has told one of our correspondents that Nigeria will adopt “global best practices” to ensure that the Chibok girls were freed.

Omeri stated this in a telephone interview while responding to an enquiry from SUNDAY PUNCH.

He was asked whether or not the government had changed its position that it would not exchange the girls for the detained Boko Haram members.

The NIC chairman said, “All options are on the table. Nigeria will adopt international best practices to ensure the girls are free.

“The government of Nigeria is going to explore all options to secure the release of the abducted girls.”
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Jonathan’s tenure extension memo floods confab


Jonathan

 Plan to use the ongoing National Conference to extend the tenure of President Goodluck Jonathan and other political office holders has been exposed.

A document prepared by one of the delegates from the South-South has been distributed to some delegates on the need to postpone the 2015 general elections by 18 months.

The document, which was prepared by Okon Osung, was distributed to the delegates last week.

Osung, who spoke with journalists in Abuja on Friday evening, confirmed the distribution of the documents.

He, however, insisted that he solely prepared the document, which he entitled, “Preserve Nigeria’s democracy: Postpone the 2015 election now.”

He said there was the need for the President or National Assembly declaring a “politico-administrative moratorium or cooling-off period” before the conduct of the elections scheduled for February 2015.

He said, “This calls for the postponement or deferment of the scheduled 2015 elections by at least 18 months, while retaining all the democratic institutions at all levels of governance and across the entire spectrum of the country’s political divide, without any bias to the statutory termination dates of such democratic institutions.

“This implies the retention of the presidency, offices of governors in the states, the National Assembly (Senate and House of Representatives), state Houses of Assembly, local government chairmen, the Independent National Electoral Commission and the respective state Independent Electoral Commissions.

“It is imperatively necessary to speedily put the proposed politico-administrative moratorium into effect, and Nigeria would not be lacking in terms of historical precedent of having to rise to a difficult and unforeseen contingency or occasion for which the country’s constitution had not made adequate provision.”

He said the extension of tenure to be occasioned with the postponement would be based on the invocation of what he called the “the doctrine of necessity” by the National Assembly.

Osung added that it would be wrong to call the proposal tenure elongation or tenure extension, as his suggestion would profit all Nigerians across the political divide.

He said it would be wrong to go for elections now, saying there was the need to check the phenomenon of military intervention now that the country seemed to be experiencing gradual institutionalisation of democratic process.

He also said almost all the zones in the country were experiencing crises and that holding of election now could aggravate such crises.

“The North-East has been infested with Boko Haram; South-South with the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta and other militants who specialise in the vandalism of oil installations and kidnapping; the South-East with the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra, who specialises in kidnapping and robbery; while the Oodua Peoples Congress in the South-West is hobbled by lynching cultism, ritual killings and other fetish bestial practices.

“Fulani herdsmen are ravaging the North-Central, killing and maiming innocent civilians as ominous cloud of insecurity is hanging perilously and menacingly over the country like the Sword of Damocles currently,” he said.
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Chibok Visit: Jonathan afraid of soldiers, says Falana


 Mr. Femi Falana

 Human rights activist and lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN) has described President Goodluck Jonathan’s suspended visit to Chibok as an expression of his fear for the soldiers in Borno State.

Speaking with SUNDAY PUNCH in a telephone interview, Falana said the President put on hold his visit to Chibok not because he was afraid of Boko Haram but because he feared the likely action of the soldiers stationed there in view of the mutiny on Wednesday by the 7 Infantry Division of the Nigerian Army in Maiduguri.

“Why did President Goodluck Jonathan cancel his visit to Chibok? Is he afraid of Boko Haram? No. He is afraid of the soldiers, his army. The mutiny that occurred in Chibok was a reaction against the way the authority is treating the soldiers. They are not happy. Even Jonathan admitted to these soldiers being ill-equipped during his last media chat. What happened to the trillions of naira budgeted for the army in the last three years?” Falana asked.

He added that Nigerian soldiers fighting Boko Haram were demoralised and not motivated.

“These soldiers are not motivated. For instance, for every soldier killed in Iraq or Afghanistan, the US Secretary of State sends a handwritten and signed letter to each family of the killed soldiers. The American government pays all their entitlements within two, three weeks or one month. The Americans care for their soldiers. They give the dead soldiers a hero’s burial.

“Here, we don’t even get to know the names of the fallen soldiers. Their families are not usually cared for. One thousand soldiers died and we don’t know them; we don’t have their names. The press is just reporting about Boko Haram and the number of people killed. No one is talking about the soldiers, the number and names of those killed and their families”, the human rights lawyer observed.

He also alleged that the soldiers were thrown into battle terrains they were not familiar with.

According to him, Nigerian soldiers are intelligent and valiant considering their exploits in Sierra Leone and Liberia.

Speaking further, he said, “The military authority commanded these valiant soldiers to go to terrains they don’t understand. It’s too easy for them to be ambushed by the insurgents. These are fantastic men who had done well in peacekeeping missions in Sierra Leone and Liberia. The Amnesty International’s report is true. The security operatives were given advance information about Boko Haram; but they claimed they had too many pieces of information they were working with.”

The Punch had earlier in the week reported that several soldiers were killed when troops of the 7 Infantry Division ran into an ambush of the insurgents at a Muleh, Jere Local Government Area of Borno State on Tuesday. Muleh is said to be located along the Maiduguri-Biu Road.

The soldiers became incensed when they sighted the bodies of their fallen colleagues and friends with several others injured in the attack.

A security source said the angry soldiers almost went wild when the General Officer Commanding the division, Maj-Gen Abubakar Mohammed, attempted to address them.

The angry soldiers were said to have shot repeatedly into the air which made several of their calmer colleagues to run for cover. It was learnt that the enraged soldiers attempted to attack the official vehicle of the GOC who was quickly ferried out of the Maimalari Barracks headquarters of the division.

Mohammed, had since been removed with Brig.-Gen. M. Y Ibrahim appointed as his replacement.

Meanwhile, the authorities of the Nigerian Army on Thursday reacted to the mutiny of some soldiers of the 7 division by instituting a high-powered delegation to investigate the occurrence.

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Sunday Sermon: Can Good Works Get Us To Heaven?


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 When asked how they’ll get to heaven when they die, many people say, “I think my good works will outweigh any bad things I’ve done.” The underlying thought is that their good works will be their ticket to heaven. While good works are important, they are not on God’s list of requirements for salvation. Those who think their good works will get them to heaven need to know what the Bible says about salvation.

First we have to understand our sinful condition compared to God’s holiness. When the prophet Isaiah was in God’s presence he cried, “Woe to me ... I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips” (Isa. 6:5). He didn’t think he was so bad until he saw how far short of God’s holiness he was.

Sin came into the world when Adam and Eve disobeyed God. Their sin may not seem so serious. Some have even compared it to a child sneaking a cookie when mom wasn’t looking. But Adam wasn’t a child and God had commanded him not to eat the fruit of only one specific tree in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 2:16-17). His eating that fruit was a direct act of disobedience which caused an insurmountable rift between him and God. That act of disobedience is called sin and it resulted in spiritual and physical death being inherited by all mankind: “Just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin ... in this way death came to all men, because all sinned” (Rom. 5:12).

There are many Bible verses that show us that all of us are sinners and by our own efforts we are totally unable to please God: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). Spiritual and physical death continues for all sinners: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 6:23). The Bible tells us that man has no good works worthy of salvation because “all our righteous acts are like filthy rags” (Isa. 64:6).

God knows us and fully understands our inability to save ourselves. But because of His great love for all mankind, He revealed His plan to save us from our sins: “God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him” (Jn. 3:16-17). And based on his own experience, the apostle Paul wrote that “God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8).

God made salvation available to all, but we need to believe God and trust in the perfect sacrifice Jesus made when He shed His blood and died on the cross to save us: “You know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed ... but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect” (1 Pet. 1:18-19).

Salvation is not accomplished by our good works, but by turning from our sinful ways (repenting) and receiving salvation as a free gift when we ask Jesus to be our Savior: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast” (Eph. 2:8-9). And the apostle John wrote: “To all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God” (Jn. 1:12).

Receiving Christ into our lives guarantees us forgiveness of sins, the assurance of eternal life and a place in heaven. “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 Jn. 5:12-13).

Trying to get to heaven by doing good works will not work. Trusting in God’s plan for salvation will work. Would you like more information about God’s plan? We can tell you more!

By Ian Taylor
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