Nigerian Newspapers
The making of geniuses
Some students of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti (ABUAD) are on their way to making first class, following their outstanding performances so far. Eleven of them made 5.0 Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA), a rare feat; others’ scores are between 4.5 and 4.9 CGPA, reports ADEGUNLE OLUGBAMILA.
THEY were simply in a class of their own. They were the cynosure of all eyes at the event. In the eyes of their parents, colleagues, guests and the management of the Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), they are geniuses in the making.
Or how would you describe these 11 students who made the maximum Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 5.0 after an academic session? Their parents were full of joy at their rare feat. The students stood tall at the third Founder’s Day of ABUAD last Thursday, where they were honoured.
The university, established by legal icon Chief Afe Babalola gave out N28.5 million worth of scholarships to them and others. The 11 students are: Ogunbusola Oluwatosin (Economics), Orji Ernestina Chinwe (Medicine), Azom Esther Adaobi (Medicine), Otu Chichetaram Ruth (Medicine), Adefolaju Boluwatife Aderemi (Medicine), Ojelabi Modupe Victoria (Medicine), Igbokwe Chisom Elsie (Medicine), Apata Modupe Victoria (Medicine), Afolabi Oluwateniola Ajoke (Medicine), Ikegwuru Chioma (Medicine) and Akinseye Ayo Clinton (Petroleum Engineering). The students got N500,000 cheque each in scholarship.
Mr Martin Akinseye told The Nation that his 18-year-old son, Ayo Clinton, was winning the award for the second time, adding that he would likely win it again at the end of the current session.
“He is winning it for the second time now,” said Akinseye, an ICT expert. “They have just completed their 300-Level first semester and my son scored 5.0. So, I am hopeful that he is most likely to win it again in his third year.”
He has every reason to be happy. To afford Ayo’s fees, Mr Akinseye said he has sold two cars. But he is not missing them because of Ayo’s performance which won him the scholarship.
“I had to sell my RAV4 Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) worth over a N1 million then for N600,000 to complete his school fees. Again, very recently, I sold my Honda Bulldog to make up his fees. But, with his scholarship award today, let me say categorically that I have no regret for my actions. If I’d sold the two vehicles for less than a million, and he has gotten scholarships worth more than that in value, where is the regret then?” Mr Akinseye asked.
Ayo attribute his achievements to his parents enrolling him in a good university like ABUAD and he is doing all he can to make them happy.
“When I considered the amount my parents paid as my school fees and other things every year, I decided I was going to pay them back to make them smile and that is exactly what I’m doing,” he said.
The parents of Ernestina Chinwe Orji were not surprised at her performance. She is a chip off the old block. Her father is a professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State and her mother, Victoria, is a Chief Nurse at the OAU Teaching Hospital.
“Ernestine is our first child . She is a hardworking, dutiful and God-fearing girl. On our part, we try as much as we can to provide all that she needs in school so that she doesn’t suffer,” she said.
Her father, Prof Ernest Orji, added: “We are so happy today, we inculcated discipline into all our children, and this is to show that our efforts are not in vain.”
For the recipient, the scholarship which she is clinching for the first time will spur her to greater heights.
“For me I have come a long way; sleepless nights, burning night candles and all that. It’s a moment of joy for me and I hope to work harder to win it again,” she said.
Some winners, in the previous editions, who got N500,000 for making a 5.0 CGPA were not that lucky this year. They went away with N85,000 for making between 4.5 and 4.9 CGPA.
Two law students, Opasina Eniola and Ade-Ojo Olayombo, who are in their 100 and 200 levels, did not make up to the 5.0 CGPA benchmark.
Eniola said she did her best but couldn’t hit the 5.0 mark, Ade-Ojo promised to improve on his performance in future.
Many other brilliant students won scholarships. The trio of Adefolaju Boluwatife, Igbokwe Chisom Eisie and Ikegwuru Chioma, studying Medicine and Surgery, won between N85,000 and N100,000.
But, in ABUAD, scholarships are not only for the brilliant. The pair of Oluwafunmilola Waleola, 20, and Adeola Crystal Adewuyi, 18, who won in the university’s inter-faculty sports competition were among several sportsmen and women rewarded with trophies. Oluwafunmilola from Electrical/Electronic Engineering won in football, Adeola shone in volleyball.
Rev Chris Tamuola, a lawyer, who spoke on behalf of the parents, thanked the university, especially Aare Babalola, for establishing what he described as a healthy intellectual challenge” among their children.
“Of all public and private universities, it is only ABUAD that has instituted this magnitude of scholarship. After each event, every parent wants to prompt his child to win because when they win the burden of tuition is reduced. Parents will continue to support the university on this initiative,” he said.
A lecturer of Macro/Micro and Energy Economics, Mr Akomolafe John, emerged the best teacher of the year with N100,000 reward. The hall shook when Akomolafe’s name was called.
“I want to dedicate this award to the students,” Akomolafe said.
“The students made me. There is joy you cannot quantify when you are in the midst of students who accept, cherish and appreciate your work. There is no doubt you will be willing to do more. One thing I appreciate is that the students are always around me and they make me feel at home.”
Earlier, Prof Akunyili who was the special guest of honour, described Are Babalola as a rare gem, philanthropist and a man who believes in justice.
She praised the legal luminary for establishing the university and investing in education while others similarly endowed misuse their wealth.
“The difference between Aare Afe and others is because he nurtures his dreams into reality and ABUAD is a shining example. Before, I used to hear about this university, but with the huge investment I have seen here, let me say that the media has not done justice to this university. This is a world-class university set up by a concerned individual in the face of decaying education in Nigeria when people who are even richer than him are spending their money on private jets,” she said.
She said the awards would motivate students to achieve more, adding: “My respect for you has increased, today, with what I’ve seen. When people are rewarded, they tend to do more; but when the reverse is the case, it breeds corruption. These awards, I am sure, will have a ripple effect, because it will encourage others to do more.”
Aare Babalola said he invited Prof Akunyili based on her exploits in the National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) which the students could learn from. He said he established ABUAD to demonstrate to Nigeria how education should be run to achieve the best.
Prof Osho said ABUAD, which is 38 months old, is adjudged the second best university in Nigeria and 16th among universities worldwide, according to Webometrics online ranking of universities. This, she said, followed an earlier endorsement of ABUAD by the NUC as “a model, benchmark and reference point for other universities.”
She said the university has realised that motivating staff and students are vital to realising the founder’s vision.
“In ABUAD, we have realised that recognition and motivation, are areas vital to encouraging and challenging students and staff not to rest on their oars but strive harder so that the vision of the founder can be achieved.
“This cash reward is a trademark of our Founder, Aare Afe Babalola, a philanthropist par excellence. His life is to encourage others to build communities and be a main agent of education reform and change. ABUAD is a vision in motion,” she said.
Prof Osho said 256 students, comprising 156 women and 96 men and 20 members of staff (three women and 17 men) received awards in various categories.
She gave the breakdown of the awards to include: Academic Award for students having 5.0 CGPA (N500,000); Academic Award for students having 4.5-4.9 CGPA (N75,000-N100,000); students with satisfactory proof of being an indigent and inability to continue their university education in ABUAD (N400,000).
Other awards included those for the most disciplined student, neatest student, best dressed student, most outstanding student leader, most outstanding student of integrity, most industrious student, most responsible student, most preserving indigent student and sportsman of the year, among others, with cash rewards ranging between N50,000 and N100, 000.
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Posted in Nigerian Newspapers. A DisNaija.Com network.
Source: The Nation Newspaper
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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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