Nollywood
actress, Chika Ike took to her twitter page to share her opinion on the
on-going ASUU strike affecting Nigerian universities which started on 1st July, 2013.
See tweets below
Showing posts with label News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label News. Show all posts
Thursday, 24 October 2013
UN and French forces in 'large-scale' operation in Mali
French, Malian and UN forces have launched a "large-scale" operation in Mali, France's military says.
France sent troops to oust Islamist rebels from northern Mali earlier this year
Spokesman Col Gilles Jaron told the AFP news agency that
several hundred French soldiers were involved in the mission in the
north of the country.
It was aimed at preventing a resurgence of "terrorist movements", he added.
On Wednesday, a suicide bomb attack on a UN Stabilisation
Mission in Mali (Minusma) base in Tessalit killed civilians and two
Chadian peacekeepers.
The UN Security Council stressed that those responsible would be held accountable and reiterated its support for Minusma.
The Malian leader of a splinter group of
al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, Sultan Ould Bady, said it had attacked
the base because the Chadians were "working for France".
France sent troops to oust Islamist rebels from northern Mali in January.
The rebels were quickly pushed back from the main urban
centres. Some retreated to hideouts in the mountains and desert, from
where they launch occasional attacks.
'Stabilisation'
Col Jaron of the French military's general staff said the
operation - called "Hydra" - was "the first time we have seen forces of
significant size working together" in Mali.
Its goal was to "put pressure on any terrorist movement to avoid their resurgence", he added.
The colonel stressed that the mission was not linked to any recent attack.
"This is one those operations that are conducted regularly... to participate in the stabilisation of the country," he explained.
He did not say when the operation started or on which areas it
was focused, nor provide exact numbers or details on the forces taking
part.
A spokesman for the Malian army, Lt-Col Souleymane Maiga told
the Reuters news agency: "It's an operation to sweep identified areas
in the three northern regions [Timbuktu, Gao and Kidal]. It will last as
long as is needed."
BBC Africa analyst Mamadou Moussa Ba says this is the first
time French troops have publicly been involved in operations against
Islamist militants in Mali for several months.
France has 3,200 soldiers in the country but plans to reduce
the force to 1,000 by February, several months later than originally
planned.
It handed over responsibility for security to Minusma in
July. However, the UN force has less than half of its mandated strength
of more than 12,000 military personnel and has appealed for
reinforcements.
Thursday, 22 August 2013
All Progressives Congress Leaders Meeting
L-R;
National Chairman Interim, All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief
Bisi Akande;APC Governorship Aspirant in Anambra State, Senator
Chris Ngige; Deputy National Chairman Interim South South, Senator
Ani Okonkwo; and Imo State Governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha
Arewa determined to restore peace in Kaduna – Chairman
The Chairman of the forum, Alhaji Aliko Mohammed, made the pledge while on advocacy visit to traditional rulers in the area.
Mohammed said the forum was determined to ensure peaceful co-existence in Southern Kaduna and the state at large.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that he spoke at the palaces of
the Agwam Bajju, Agwam Tyap and the Kpop Ham in Zango Kataf and Jaba
local government areas.
The chairman reminded them that as custodians of culture and
traditions, the rulers played an important role as part of the machinery
for ensuring communal harmony and peaceful co-existence.
“This is one of the reasons why ACF had deemed it absolutely
necessary to undertake this courtesy call on our traditional
institutions in Southern Kaduna senatorial district of Kaduna state,’’
he said.
He further explained that the visit would avail ACF the opportunity
to pave way for future dialogue and exchange of ideas on sensitive
issues affecting the northern states.
“ACF always enjoins northerners to recognise the need for action to
find effective ways of harnessing human and natural resources for the
development and benefit of our people,’’ he added.
Mohammed regretted that the north had witnessed more than its fair
share of unpleasant ethnic and religious violence, and appealed to the
royal fathers and the different communities to return to the “old ways.”
“Nowhere in the world has violence ever been found to result in peace
and progress, as such our northern communities cannot be an
exception,’’ he stressed.
Friday, 16 August 2013
FAAN gets 48-hour ultimatum on fuel tankers’ relocation
The Federal Government on Friday issued a 48- hour ultimatum to the
Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria to relocate fuel tankers out of
the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, citing concern
over safety and security.
To ensure compliance, all security agencies attached to the MMIA,
including State Security Services, Nigerian Air Force, and others have
been mobilised to ensure the fuel tankers are moved out of the airport
before Wednesday, as they constitute an infraction to terminal
operations.
Briefing journalists on Friday, the Director of Aviation Safety,
FAAN, Mr. Wendel Ogunedo , said there is no going back on the relocation
of the fuel tankers, many of which have broken down and could be a
vulnerable target by people with sinister motives.
He said FAAN acting on the orders of the presidency would not like to
see the fuel tankers along the way into the international terminal, as
any spillage of inflammable liquid including aviation fuel could do huge
damage to installations and houses around the airport.
Jonathan appoints inventor as entrepreneurship Ambassador
President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday appointed a United Stated-based
Nigerian, Jessica Mathews, who invented energy generating football and
skipping rope as Entrepreneurship Ambassador.
The Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr. Olusegun Aganga, disclosed
this to State House correspondents after the football and skipping rope
was demonstrated to President Goodluck Jonathan at the Presidential
Villa, Abuja.
He said: “The product is actually versatile, it is not just about the
electricity you see, you can use it to charge your mobile phones, for
fans so there are so many things for which it can be used.”
“We are also looking at the possibilities of manufacturing it in Nigeria and see how we can make it cheaper in this country.”
“I am glad that Jessica has also agreed to be our ambassador in terms
of promoting entrepreneurship in our Universities. What we want to do
is to bring successful entrepreneurs like Jessica to inspire the
students and make them more creative so that they can also be employers
of labour,’’ he stated
According to the 25 years old Edo State -born inventor, the football
could generate three hours of electricity after 30 minutes of play and
could store power for 72 hours.
The electricity generated by the ball, she said, could be used as
electricity source to power lighting points and household equipments.
Mathews, who is the co-founder of Unchartedplay, said that the
airless football when not in use can span for 18 months before
replacement.
She also disclosed that she studied Psychology and Economics at
Havard University, but taught herself Electrical and Mechanical
Engineering because of her interest in the field.
Strike: ‘ASUU will wait till FG gets money’
The Academic Staff Union of Universities will sustain its ongoing
strike until the Federal Government gets the money to meet its demands,
an ex-officio member has said.
The immediate past chairman of the union at the University of
Nigeria, Nsukka, Prof. Aloysius Okolie, told the News Agency of Nigeria
(NAN) in Nsukka, Enugu State on Friday that the government should not
allow a total collapse of tertiary education in the country.
Okolie said that no country had attained enviable height economically
and technologically without adequate funds for the education sector.
He said the sector remained the engine room of national development.
“The National Assembly and some executive members are paid jumbo
salaries but when it comes to education funding the government has no
money.
“How will the country be able to achieve its vision 20:2020 of being
among the 20 leading economies if the education sector is not
well-funded,’’ he asked.
The former chairman solicited the understanding of the students and
their parents, saying the union’s demand was to ensure quality teaching
and learning in the universities.
“It is unreliable that in some universities student receive lectures under the trees and in stadium.
“Books, laboratory equipment in our libraries and laboratories are
outdated while some politicians and government officials are wasting
money in building houses in every state capital and buying fleets of
exotic cars.
“The demands will enable the universities to produce quality graduates employable in any part of the world,’’ he said.
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