LAUTECH Rain Semester Academic Calendar 2013/2014

Senate at its meeting of Wednesday, November 26, 2014 approved the 2013/2014 Rain Semester academic calendar.

According to the calendar, resumption date is fixed for Monday, December 8, 2014.

To view the complete calendar click here

Why Jonathan’s administration must go – Oshiomhole

GOVERNOR Adams Oshiomhole of Edo state yesterday declared that the President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration has killed many Edo indigenes due to the alleged refusal by the President to give ecological funds to areas devastated by erosion in the state and many other APC states.

He regretted that the President would play partisan politics with the lives of Nigerians and Edo people in particularly despite the 95 per cent votes he enjoyed in the state in 2011, vowing that the President and his party the PDP, would be voted out come 2015. Oshiomhole also lampooned the Federal government austerity measures due to fallen prices oil, querying that “ what did they do with our money when oil was N108 per barrel. They said we should tighten our belt but they gave us no belt, that is anti people”.

The Governor declare this at the traditional Urhokpota Ground Ring Road Benin City, where he received the former Minister of State for Works and PDP Chieftain, Engr. Chris Ogiemwonyi and over two thousand of his supporters into the APC. About 20 palace chiefs led by Chief Jackson Igbinoba, and different PDP groups one of them led by Chief Arala Osula, dumped the party for the APC.

Ogiemwonyi said he decided to dump the PDP after what he described as the failure of the PDP to fix both the economic, security and other problems bedevilling the nation. He added that Governor Oshiomhole’s developmental strides in Edo state and the achievement of other APC governors convinced him that APC means well for the Edo people and Nigerians in general.

Oshiomhole who received the decampees into the party gave reasons why Nigerians must vote the PDP led Federal government out. His words, “What is buried in the name of PDP can never resurrect because the Bible says, he who die in sin shall perish and languish in hell. And because PDP died in sin, they killed, they embezzled our money, they dehumanized our people, they enveloped Benin with flood, converted our young one to prostitution and reduced Edo from the heart beat to a part of the country that was now remember only by reference to very negative headlines.

“ It will take PDP more than a hundred years to pay reparation to Edo people. If anybody imagine what has happened in this state for six years, then you can better calculate how much they stole from the treasury of this state and how many miles they set up backwards in terms of where were are supposed to be. And that is why when the President came here to say that Edo will fall, I said well who is speaking. Can a man who is on the ground speak to a man who is on his feet?

More at Vanguard Newspaper

PDP mourns victims of Kano Central Mosque blast, says act shocking, very painful

NATIONAL leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has condemned yesterday’s bomb blasts at the Kano Central Mosque, where many were feared dead, describing the incident as shocking and very painful.

National Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh in a statement, noted that it was more painful especially against the backdrop that lives of innocent citizens were claimed while worshiping their God. It commiserated with the people of Kano State and announced the postponement of its state House of Assembly primaries slated for today, while praying God to comfort the bereaved and bring enduring peace to the nation.

The party lamented that victims of the incessant attacks in the country were productive citizens who were making useful contributions to the growth and development of the nation.

Metuh said “The PDP is shocked over Friday’s bomb attack that claimed the lives of innocent citizens worshipping at the Kano Central Mosque, which is very painful. The party was grief-stricken when it received the news of the gruesome attack “especially considering that the victims are harmless Nigerians, who were at the mosque to offer prayers and express their allegiance and love for the Almighty God.

“Indeed, our hearts ache for our brothers and sisters who were slaughtered in this horrible attack. We grieve for the bereaved, especially those who have been widowed and orphaned today. We share in their sorrows and pray that those behind this atrocious act must not escape justice.”

Meanwhile, former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar who also condemned the latest bomb blasts as well as previous bomb blasts in Kontagora, Niger State and Maiduguri, Borno State, said he was devastated by the frequency and brutality of terrorist attacks on innocent people, adding that ceaseless violence achieves nothing.

In a statement by his media office, yesterday, the Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC and a presidential hopeful, said that the attacks on mosques, churches, schools, bus stations, markets, shopping plazas and other heavy human targets, defy the teachings of all known religions of the world.

He said his heart always bleeds at this senseless violence, adding that it was high time the Boko Haram terrorists abandoned violence and embraced peace once and for all, just as he called on Nigerians to be more vigilant and share intelligence. He called on the country’s security forces to be ahead of the terrorists with better strategies.

Acknowledging that terrorism was a relatively new security challenge, Atiku Abubakar stressed that more efforts were needed to improve detection of terrorists before they reach their targets and called for rigorous public education to help ordinary Nigerians identify suicide bombers before they reach their intended targets.

Metuh, however, further, called on those behind the attacks to have a rethink and embrace peace, adding, “The nation would have been a better place if the human and material resources as well as the time and energy wasted as a result of the security challenges were channeled towards national development.”

He urged the citizens not to lose faith, but continue to remain vigilant and co-operate with the government and security agencies as they strive to find a lasting solution to the security challenges confronting the country.

Nigeria going through difficult times – Badeh

CHIEF of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh has challenged newly promoted Generals in the Nigerian Army to rise up to the tough security challenges currently pulling back the country from attaining its developmental goals admitting that the country was going through difficult times.

Speaking at the decoration ceremony of 24 newly promoted Major Generals and over 40 Brigadier Generals in Abuja yesterday, the CDS, said that they (senior officers) were now among the decision makers in the army, and must rise up to the expectation.

He urged them not to betray the confidence reposed in them by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General KTJ Minimah while urging those not promoted not to be despaired as it would be their turn some day.

Also speaking, the COAS, Lt. General Minimah noted that it is only God that gives promotion.

He expressed confidence that hard work, belief and faith, which were determining factors in the promotion of the new Generals, will see them rising above contemporary security challenges confronting the nation.

While reminding the officers that promotion comes with another level of expectation, hard work, loyalty and dedication, Minimah urged those not promoted to celebrate with those promoted because one day, it will be their turn and those not promoted will also celebrate with them.

Among those promoted Major General were army headquarters AHQ Garrison Commander, Major General B.T Ndiomu, former ADC to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Major General Chris Jemitola, Major General L.C Ilo and Major General Abubakar Torfa, Major General Leo Irabor.

Also promoted to one star General are PSO to Chief of Army Staff, Brigadier General Solomon Udounwa, Brigadier General Olufemi Akinjobi, Brigadier Generals Ozigi and Bakare of the Finance Corps and Brigadier General Abdulsalam of CTOP’s branch.

JAMB Approves 30 CBT Centres For UTME 2015 In Lagos

Dr Beatrice Okorie , the Lagos Coordinator of the Board , in Lagos said that this was a great improvement over the previous years when there were only five centres.

Okorie disclosed this when she was asked about the board’s level of preparedness ahead of next year’s matriculation examination slated for March 4, 2015.

NAN reports that the board, had during the 2014 examination which comprised the Paper Pencil, Computer Based and the Dual Based modes, declared that it was migrating fully to an all computer based test.

The coordinator said that consequently, about 30 centres fully equipped with the necessary systems, software and backups had been approved for the conduct of the examination against “the five we used to have before now”.

“Preparations are in top gear for next year’s matriculation examination. Everything is going as planned.

“We have been visiting various centres around the state to inspect what are on ground.

“So far, we are satisfied with about 30 centres that have been able to meet our requirements as they will ensure the smooth take off of the conduct of the examination.

“We will also like to say that more centres are still going to be approved and a case where there is an outright absence of the backups or the capacity for the existing ones are below expectation, we will advise for an immediate installation or a replacement.

“We do not approve any ICT centre with less than 150 computer sets,” she said.

Okorie said that there was no going back from the full migration to the Computer Based Test (CBT) mode.

“The board had put necessary machinery in place to ensure that there were enough centres for as many as candidates that would register for the examination,” she said. (NAN)

NUC Approves AUN Postgraduate Programmes

The NUC is the government agency that has the statutory mandate to accredit university academic programs in Nigeria.

The accreditation was conveyed to the university on October 29, 2014, following a resource assessment visit in August by a team of NUC officials, a statement by the AUN Executive Director of Communications & Public Relations Daniel Okereke said.

The letter was signed by the NUC Director, Academic Standards, Dr. G.B. Kumo, for the Executive Secretary, Prof Julius Okojie.

Reacting to the accreditation, President of AUN Margee Ensign said: “I am pleased to announce that AUN, only ten years old has received approval to run its first PhD program.”

Dean of the School of Business & Entrepreneurship, Professor Linus Osuagwu, explained that the school is fully set to commence admission into the M.Sc. and PhD programs starting 2015.

In April 2013, the NUC reassessed the university’s human and material resources and issued it with another five-year full accreditation to all the academic programs which had been first accredited in 2008.

The accredited programs are Accounting, Business Administration, Finance, Management & Entrepreneurship, Marketing, English Language & Literature, Telecommunication & Wireless Technology, Information System, Computer Science, Software Engineering, Economics, International & Comparative Politics, and Mass Communications (Communication & Multimedia, Advertising, Print Journalism, Television/Film, Multimedia Design.)

As an institution modelled on American university pedagogy, AUN, now in its 10th year, strives to comply with both the American accreditation standards as well as those of the NUC.

UNN 4th Supplementary Admission List 2014/2015 Released

This is to inform 2014/2015 prospective students of University of Nigeria Nsukka that the 4th Supplementary admission List of the institution has been released.

The List is available now online.

Candidates can access the list now by clicking here

Three explosions rocked Kano Central Mosque

Three explosions on Friday rocked the mosque of one of Nigeria‘s best known Islamic leaders, the Emir of Kano, as worshippers gathered for weekly prayers, witnesses have said.

“Two bombs exploded, one after the other, in the premises of the Grand Mosque seconds after the prayers had started,” Aminu Abdullahi said, adding that a third went off nearby.

The Emir, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, was said to be inside the mosque at the time, with the explosions happening in an outdoor courtyard, and there was no immediate word on casualties.

Abdullahi and another witness, Hajara Tukur, who said she lives nearby, said the police began firing weapons in the chaos that followed the blasts, as worshippers began scrambling for safety.

Preaching at Kano’s Grand Mosque last week, the emir urged northerners to take up arms against Islamist group Boko Haram and cast doubt on the military’s ability to protect civilians and end the insurgency.

The Emir of Kano is a hugely influential figure in Nigeria, which is home to more than 80 million Muslims, most of whom live in the north.

Officially the emir is the country’s number two cleric, behind the Sultan of Sokoto.

Sanusi, who was named emir earlier this year, is a prominent figure in his own right, having previously served as the chief of Nigeria‘s central bank, where he spoke out against massive government fraud.

An attack on Sanusi could inflame tensions in Kano, Nigeria‘s second city and most populous in the north. (AFP)