Nigerian Newspapers
The supermarket dialogue (2)
One prominent feature about our nation – which we all identified during our discussion – is our “fear” of facts and figures and using them to solve problems. We simply abhor these and prefer to use emotions and ethnicity to confront fundamental issues. If the power situation is deplorable, get a generator; if there’s no water to drink, sink a borehole (that is for those who can afford it); if our hospitals are “mere consulting clinics” (apology to the late Gen Sani Abacha), fly abroad for your treatment; if our education standard has fallen, go abroad and get quality education. This can go on and on. Just like I concluded last week, we all agreed it has almost everything to do with leadership failure.
I thought by now the Federal Government would be using the facts and figures in its mid-term report in which it set the exams, marked the question paper and gave itself a pass mark with its unique marking scheme to argue this point. But, rather, its spokesman is busy using uncouth language against the opposition. All of a sudden it appears the government has jettisoned the report for the next item on the agenda.
Another example is in carrying capacity of our tertiary institutions. The Federal Government recently announced plans to set up what it called “mega-universities” in each of the six geo-political zones. Under the scheme, a designated university will be upgraded to increase its absorptive capacity, such that it could admit between 150,000 and 200,000 students yearly. This means that the six mega-universities will absorb up to a maximum of 1.2 million students.
And what is the logic behind this? Prof Ruqayyatu Rufai, the Minister of Education, complained about the limited admission spaces for the 2013/2014 session, which we all know about. It is on record that 1,735,720 candidates sat for this year’s Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in April. It is estimated that only 520,000 students will finally be enrolled. Good statistics, but that is not the whole story. Was the government expecting the whole 1.7 million candidates to pass the examination? To try to answer this question, it would be appropriate to allow the Joint Admissions Matriculation Board (JAMB) have the last say from the results of their “marking script”.
A breakdown of the results released by the examination body showed that 80,419 results were withheld for possible disciplinary measures and 40,692 were cancelled for not answering the questions properly. Only 10 candidates got high score of 300 out of 400 obtainable (did you get that, only 10!); 628 scored between 270 and 299 points; 571,298 scored between 170 and 199; 103,489 scored between 160 and 169; while 127,017 scored less than 159 points. Just as 704,622 scored between 200 and 249, 33,115 also scored between 250 and 269 points. If we are to follow this reasoning, is the “mega universities” the solution? What we are dealing with is chronic systemic failure and not infrastructure. And don’t for one minute get me wrong, I am for infrastructural development as anyone who follows this column knows. But the issue we are grappling with here has to do with quality and not quantity. Somebody somewhere is definitely missing a fundamental point; it is not all the 1.7million candidates that have the requisite entry qualification for admission. Again, this is beyond the tertiary education sector; we should be looking at the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) whose results often paint gloomy pictures of our educational sector.
Nigeria has 129 universities, comprising 40 federal, 38 state and 51 private institutions. Besides, there are many Colleges of Education running degree programmes that are affiliated to universities as well. Given what I pointed out earlier, it is obvious that government’s preference is on quantity, not quality. But it is glaring that it is quality that made varsities such as Harvard, Cambridge, Oxford, Yale, Princeton, Cornell, Columbia, the Sorbonne and others of global renown. Viewed against the backdrop of inadequate funding of universities, the mega universities idea simply misses the point.
This issue of quantity was also what informed the recently released cut-off mark for Unity School released by the Federal Ministry of Education (FME). I put it forward to my fellow supermarket discussants, but one of them accused me of cooking up figures or being plain satirical; but it is a fact. For the avoidance of doubt, I’ll run readers through the entire state by state list.
According to the FME statement, pupils who scored above the following cut-off marks (in the last common entrance examination) based on their state of origin and are eligible for admission into Unity Schools: Abia–Male (130), Female (130); Adamawa:–Male (62), Female (62); Akwa-Ibom:–Male (123), Female(123); Anambra:–Male (139), Female(139); Bauchi:–Male (35), Female(35); Bayelsa:–Male (72), Female(72); Benue:–Male (111), Female(111); Borno:–Male (45), Female(45); Cross River:– Male (97), Female (97); Delta:–Male (131), Female(131); Ebonyi:–Male (112), Female(112); Edo:–Male (127), Female(127); Ekiti:– Male (119), Female (119); Enugu:–Male (134), Female (134); Gombe:–Male (58), Female (58); Imo:–Male (138), Female (138); Jigawa:–Male (44), Female (44); Kaduna:–Male (91), Female (91); Kano:–Male (67), Female (67); Kastina:– Male (60), Female (60); Kebbi:–Male (9), Female(20); Kogi:–Male (119), Female (119); Kwara:–Male (123), Female (123); Lagos–Male (133), Female (133); Nassarawa:–Male (58), Female (58); Niger:–Male (93), Female (93); Ogun:–Male (131), Female (131); Ondo:– Male (126), Female (126); Osun:–Male (127), Female (127); Oyo:–Male (127), Female (127); Plateau:– Male (97), Female (97); Rivers:–Male (118), Female (118); Sokoto:–Male (9), Female(13); Taraba:–Male (3), Female (11); Yobe:–Male (2), Female (27); Zamfara:–Male (4), Female (2) and FCT Abuja:–Male (90), Female (90).
Dear readers, how ridiculous can we get in this country? That a score of less than 10 out of 200 total marks would secure admission for candidates from Sokoto, Yobe, Taraba, Kebbi and Zamfara states whereas even a score as high as 130 is not enough for candidates from Anambra, Enugu, Delta, Ogun, Imo and Lagos states is beyond comprehension. Remember also that it is from this list that we have the raw materials for our universities.
Again, I’d like to state emphatically that I’m fully in support of assisting states that are educational disadvantaged to help bridge the gap with their advanced counterparts, but policies like this do not begin to address that. It only opens the door wide for the highest form of mediocrity that does not have a place in the national, not to talk of the global arena. Yet, we want our students to compete on the global scene. Do our policy makers know what globalisation actually means? Boundaries have since collapsed and everyone is expected to play by global standards, principles and best practices, not emotion! I simply cannot fathom this sort of absurdity in which a mark of two (can you beat that!) will secure admission for a boy from Yobe while his counterpart from Anambra would need a score of 139 to gain entrance into the same school!
The lacuna we have in leadership, which policies like this has thrown up, has to do with human capital development. John Gardner, an eminent educator and political reformer, whose belief in society’s potential was his guiding force, once said: “In questions of mind, there is no medium term: either we look for the best or we live with the worst.”
Indeed, the reality in Nigeria has been that since we abandoned looking for the best, we have had to live with the worst. If you can recollect that a military head of state once told us that the best candidate may not win the presidential election in Nigeria, then you will understand why we have had, in the words of Gardner, to live with the worst.
I listened to a radio interview with Mr Femi Falana (SAN) recently where he pointed out that most Nigerians have still not come to terms with the leadership crisis we have in the country which has permeated all facets of our system. He mentioned in that interview that the case of forgery against some journalists from Leadership newspaper brought by the Federal Government was thrown out of court because some prosecutors in the Federal Ministry of Justice charged the journalists in the wrong court! That is how low we’ve sunk.
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•Deploy more personnel as army chief vows to wipe out terror group
•Security beefed up at N’Assembly
Deji Elumoye and Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja
Abuja, Nigeria’s seat of power, is under a massive security cordon following threats of attacks by insurgents and the increasing wave of banditry in the contiguous states of Kaduna, Kogi, Nasarawa and Niger States, THISDAY’s investigation has revealed.
There has been a wave of kidnappings in the outskirts of the federal capital, notably Pegi, Tuganmaje and Kuje among others, which the police have battled in recent times.
The security situation in and around the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was heightened by the pronouncement of the Niger State Governor, Mr. Sani Bello, that Boko Haram fighters who he said sacked 50 villages in the state and hoisted the terror group’s flag, were about two hours drive away from the FCT.
Security has also been beefed up at the National Assembly as operatives, yesterday, thoroughly screened every vehicle approaching the National Assembly complex in Abuja.
The deteriorating security situation nationwide prompted the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, to warn that the 2023 general election may not hold, demanding the declaration of a state of emergency as well as the convocation of a national conference.
However, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, yesterday restated the Nigerian Army’s determination to annihilate Boko Haram.
But the Governor of Katsina State, Hon. Bello Masari, cautioned against declaring a state of emergency, saying doing so isn’t the solution to combat the security challenges facing the country.
The security of the nation’s airports was also in focus yesterday as the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) said there was no threat to them.
THISDAY’s investigations showed increased presence of troops, police, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) personnel and intelligence operatives at the three strategic entrances to the city notably, Keffi, Zuba and Gwagwalada.
More checkpoints were also mounted around Gwagwalada and Keffi.
THISDAY also observed increased intelligence deployment at the entrance and the borders of FCT with contiguous states.
Beyond the borders, there were more deployments and police patrols inside the city and increased intelligence deployments as well.
Security sources told THISDAY: “There are deployments here and there but they are routine. Alertness is key to a secure environment.”
It was also learnt that security agencies were involved in frenzied meetings throughout yesterday.
The meetings, coordinated by the office of the Chief of Defence Staff under the new joint operational strategy of the armed forces, were aimed at coordinating a joint response to possible threats of attack to the FCT.
“I understand the security teams have been meeting for some days now and if you look around you, you will notice that there are increasing patrols and numbers of security personnel. The threats are not been taken lightly,” a source said.
National Assembly workers, lawmakers and visitors also had a harrowing experience accessing the legislative complex due to heightened security in the area.
Security operatives thoroughly screened every vehicle approaching the National Assembly complex in Abuja, impeding both human and vehicular traffic.
The Sergeant-at-arm of the National Assembly and other security agencies supervised the operations, leading to huge traffic build-up inside the complex.
Legislative staff, visitors and lawmakers were seen patiently waiting for their cars to be searched so that they could go ahead with the business of the day.
Some staff and visitors at some point got tired of waiting and were seen alighting from their cars to trek from the gate to the complex.
Meanwhile, the ONSA has said there is no threat to the nation’s airports.
A statement by the Head of Strategic Communication, Mr. Zachari Usman, said the reports of threats to the airports were an internal correspondence of security threat assessment misconstrued as security threat to the airports.
PDP Demands State of Emergency
In a related development, the PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, yesterday demanded the declaration of a state of emergency, warning that the 2023 general election might not hold if the federal government failed to tackle insecurity.
He called on the federal government to summon a national conference to address the spike in insecurity.
Secondus added that the national caucus of the party will meet today to discuss the state of the nation.
Addressing members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) in Abuja, Secondus said: “We are worried Abuja is not even safe. It is no longer politics. We got alert of plots to bomb and burn down our airports.
“We urge the federal government to declare a national state of emergency in security. There is the need to call a national conference to discuss the insecurity in the country.
“There may not be any election in 2023 in Nigeria due to insecurity. This government must listen to the people. The Buhari government should call a national confab to discuss security and state of the nation. It is no longer politics. This time we are not playing politics. Let’s keep politics aside and move the nation forward.”
He said the country had been grounded, regretting that there had been no matching response from the federal government.
Secondus said in the past, terrorism in the North was confined to the North-east, but with the report of Boko Haram occupying villages in Niger State, terrorism had spread to the North-central
“Herdsmen are also menacing in the West; gunmen causing havoc in the East; and the militants in the South; all killing, looting, raping, maiming and burning down homes. The situation is bad; Nigerians all over are living in fear,” he said.
The Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, said the problem of Nigeria was outside of the PDP headquarters, while pledging the support of the Senate to the declaration of state of emergency in security.
Abaribe said he deliberately decided not to speak on the floor of the Senate but to allow the APC senators to speak so as to avoid being accused of giving a partisan colouration to the issue of insecurity.
He stated that only electoral reforms would give victory to the opposition party in the 2023 general election and ensure a democratic defeat of the APC-led federal government.
Also, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, commended the NEC and the PDP leadership for their collective efforts at resolving the House leadership crisis.
The NEC meeting adopted the position of Secondus, calling on the federal government to convoke a national conference to discuss the state of insecurity in the country, according to a communiqué read by the National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan.
Army Chief Vows to Wipe Out Boko Haram
The army yesterday reiterated its commitment to wipe out Boko Haram.
Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, told reporters in Maiduguri, Borno State that Boko Haram had been defeated in many encounters and would continue to be defeated until it’s annihilated from Nigeria.
“We will take on Boko Haram decisively, and we are committed to the focus of the operations, which is the total annihilation of Boko Haram from Nigeria,” he said.
The COAS, who was visiting the headquarters of Operation Lafiya Dole in Maiduguri for the fifth time since his appointment four months ago, said the visit was to boost the morale of the troops, reassure them and listen to any issues affecting them.
Earlier, the Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj. Gen. Farouq Yahaya, lauded the visit, which he said had continued to boost the morale of the troops.
“We are honoured, we are grateful, we are encouraged by those visits. You provided us guidance, logistics and other things we required. We are most grateful for those visits,” Yahaya said.
State of Emergency Won’t Solve Security Challenges, Says Masari
Katsina State Governor, Hon. Aminu Masari, has, however, said declaration of a state of emergency won’t solve the security challenges facing the nation.
Masari, who spoke yesterday with journalists after meeting with the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari at the State House, Abuja stated that he was against the recent call by the House of Representatives for the declaration of a state of emergency in the security sector as it would not solve the problem.
According to him, declaring a state of emergency will not achieve the desired effect as the security structure and personnel to be used to execute the emergency are already overstretched in a bid to safeguard lives and property.
Sourced From: THISDAYLIVE
Tribune Online
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has recorded 62 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 165,110. The NCDC disclosed this on its official Twitter handle on Friday. “55 new cases of #COVID19Nigeria; Lagos-21, Yobe-19, Ogun-6, Akwa Ibom-3, Kaduna-2, Plateau-2, FCT-1, Rivers-1.” YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE COVID-19: Nigeria Recorded […]
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
Tribune Online
Sourced From: Tribune Online
By Olasunkanmi Akoni
The people of the South East region have been urged to explore the power of negotiation and mutual settlement in the face of ongoing killings and security challenges in the zone because the east can not afford another war at present.
Stakeholders from the South-East geo-political zone made the remark on Thursday, at the unveiling of the book, “Igbo, 50 years after Biafra,” written by Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Drainage Services, Joe Igbokwe, held at Ikeja G.R.A.
Speaking at the unveiling of the book, the chairman of the occasion, Mr. Cutis Adigba,
urged the people of the South-East to learn to build bridges across the country, so that they can realise their ambition of producing the next president of Nigeria.
Adigba urged leaders from the zone to discourage the move and agitation by some youths in the South East to go to war and secede out of Nigeria.
Also read: Banditry: Disregard viral video, Niger State gov’t urges residents
He said that Igbo have always found it difficult to rule Nigeria because they refused to build bridges across the six geo-political zones that made up Nigeria.
While describing the agitation as uncalled for, Adigba noted that after two decades that Nigeria returned to civil rule, the Igbo has predominantly identified with only one political party.
He maintained that remaining in one party can not advance the cause of the people of South East and cannot make them realise their objective of producing an Igbo man as president.
He maintained that the publisher of the book, Igbokwe played politics outside his state, so that the Igbo race can be integrated with one another race.
Adigba said the failure of the Igbo to reintegrate with other ethnic nationalities politically was responsible for the retrogression of the race in Nigerian politics.
Igbokwe, also addressing guests on the occasion, maintained that the Igbo are not advancing politically because they refused to be integrated into National politics, lamenting that, despite their success in business, they are not successful in playing politics at the national level.
Corroborating Dimgba, Igbokwe noted that there was the need for the Igbo people to stand up and build bridges so that their objective of producing the next president of Nigeria could be realised.
According to him: “I have decided to raise my voice, I hope my people will hear me while trying to quell the effect of the war, our people are spoiling for another war, mayhem is being unleashed in Igbo land, and there is palpable fear.
“Those who could speak have lost their voice, mindful of the consequences of their actions, I am calling on all Igbo leaders to speak up because all actions carry consequences, consequences of the silence will be too dastardly to sustain.
“Those silently supporting the wild wind should be careful or else they hand over to their children,” he said.
Igbokwe urged those spoiling for war to jettison their plan and embrace dialogue, urging them to learn from the South West region that despite the challenges faced after the annulment of the June 12, 1993, election, they did not go to war, and the region had the opportunity of producing two of her sons for presidential position in 1999.
“You have to build bridges to become president of Nigeria, but it is unfortunate the Igbo are burning bridges.”
Speaking at the event, Chief Uche Dimgba who is the coordinator of Igbo in All Progressives Congress, APC in Lagos, described Igbokwe as “a Frank, fearless and reliable leader, who based his views on issues and stand by his opinions, and we the Igbo have confidence in him and believe he can lead us aright.”
“He is a leader we Igbo believe in and we will follow him. If he can serve all the governors produced in Lagos State since 1999, he is a better man to follow because he possesses all the experience that can be of benefit to Igbo both at home and in the diaspora.”
The post Attacks on S’East: We must explore all options of negotiation — Stakeholders urge Igbo appeared first on Vanguard News.
Sourced From: Vanguard News
The government said that no worker should stay back beyond 6:00 p.m. within premises of buildings undergoing construction.
The post Insecurity: Lagos bans occupation of abandoned buildings appeared first on Premium Times Nigeria.
Sourced From: Premium Times Nigeria
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Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
Military, Police Ring Abuja to Forestall Boko Haram Attack
UFC: Usman gets N584m after beating Masvidal
Insecurity: Lagos bans occupation of abandoned buildings
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