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Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola on Saturday said 21,193 out of the 51,604 students in the state public schools, who sat for the 2013 May/June WAEC, had credits in five subjects. Speaking at a programme to commemorate the 2,300 days of his administration in Ikeja, Fashola said that the five subjects included English Language and Mathematics. According to him, the performance translated into 41.06 per cent pass rate, adding that it was an improvement on the 39 per cent recorded in 2012. Fashola said that the performance showed that the various government interventions in education, especially the “Secondary School EKO Project, paid off.” “If one recalls that we started with a pass rate of seven per cent in 2007,one will appreciate how far we have come, to now record an over 41 per cent pass rate. “Similarly, the results of our 2013 JSS placement examination showed that more pupils are getting into our secondary schools as 95,255 cand...

The factional National Chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party , PDP, Abubakar Baraje, has said that his life is in danger following what he described as the latest onslaught against officials of his faction. In an exclusive interview with PREMIUM TIMES on Saturday, Mr. Baraje said all security personnel attached to him have been withdrawn by the government, thereby exposing him to danger. PREMIUM TIMES had earlier reported that Mr. Baraje and the other leaders of his faction have been placed under security watch by authorities in an extensive effort to foil the group’s activities and ensure its members do not launch a parallel office. “My life is now in danger, whatever happens to me now, people should know where it is coming from,” he said. “I’m now without security protection, and it is a move calculated to make me vulnerable to attacks.” He also said the withdrawal of his security details was similar to how Rivers s...

A lawyer from Cameroon, Mrs Ngala Norgu Julia, has been arrested by men of the Cross River State Command of the Nigerian Immigration Service, NIS, for allegedly being in possession of a one- week -old baby girl which she claimed she was delivered of by a herbalist at Okitiputa, Ondo State. Mr Samuel Igochi, the Comptroller of Immigration, Cross River State Command, said Ngala was arrested by the Intelligence and Investigation Team of the Service at the Calabar port while trying to smuggle the baby to Cameroon. “She claimed a herbalist in Okitikpupa, Ondo State gave her some herbs which she took in November 2012 after which she got pregnant and delivered the baby but there are no signs in her that she actually delivered that baby”, Ogochi said. According to him, a team was constituted to examine her but, after due examination, there were no signs that she actually delivered the baby. “Since the 1st of September 2013 which she gave as the date fo...

Nollywood actress Stella Damasus and Senator Yerima were both guests on ‘The Stream’ a programme aired on International News Network Al Jazeera. They went head-to-head on the controversial issue of Child marriage. Senator Yerima re-affirmed that he married his fourth wife when she was 14 years and they both now have a son together. He said he finds nothing wrong with his actions, claiming that his 14 year-old wife had reciprocated his feelings. Stella Damascus counter-argued, citing several Child rights charters signed by Nigeria concerning marriage and the rights of the girl-child. She insisted that those breaking the agreements should be labelled criminals and prosecuted. Watch the rest of their engaging argument here…

CALABAR — A newly married couple, who packed to their house soon after wedding have been reportedly killed by generator fumes in Ikot Omin on the outskirts of Calabar, the Cross River State capital. The couple, Bassey Effiong (27), his wife, Glory (21) and her younger sister, Emem (16), were said to have packed to the house yet to be completed by Bassey. “When he got married, he decided to work on one of the rooms and moved in, while hoping to gradually complete the house,” Mike, a neighbour to the couple told Vanguard. However, tragedy struck, Sunday night, when the couple turned on their generating set and placed it on the corridor close to the room, where they slept but fume from the generating set was said to have subsequently gained entry into the room in large quantity and suffocatded the couple along with Emem, the wife’s younger sister. They were discovered dead several hours later by a naval officer, David Ekanem, Bassey’s ...

The lingering strike actionn embarked on by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Chairman, Kogi State University Chapter, Sylvester Osakwe Ukwuteno, has said the union is ready to fight until their request is granted, even if takes more than a year, as he noted that Ghana experienced a year and some months strike before the government came to their senses and the outcome is currently obvious, “we would do even more till our request is granted,” he stated. Despite the N30 billion released to the striking university lecturers as payment for the earned allowances, Ukwuteno, has said that the ongoing strike by the union will continue because the Federal Government has not strengthened its vision for the sector. Speaking to Vanguard Learning in a telephone interview, Ukwuteno explained that if there are plans for the sector, government would have speedily concurred with the plea to innovate the sector being pursued by the union, adding that th...

THE National Universities Commission (NUC) has declared that the N92 billion allowances contained in the 2009 agreement reached with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) by the Federal Governmentwas for both academic and non-academic staff. In a letter dated August 26, 2013 signed by the NUCExecutive Secretary, Professor Julius Okojie and addressed to the Pro- Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, the NUC boss directed the governing council to provide necessary oversight in the administration of the released earned allowances payment to ‘deserving academic and non-academic staff’. The NUC in the letter titled “Payment of earned allowances” read in part, “the Federal Government has approved the sum of N30 billion for the payment of earned allowances to deserving staff, (academic and non-academic) in the federal universities. I have been directed to inform the councils of federal universities of the prorated amount due to ...

The Federal Government on Tuesday claimed it had met almost all the demands of the Academic Staff Union of Universities after releasing an additional N30 billion to the union. Gabriel Suswam, Chairman of the National Economic Empowerment Development Strategy (NEEDS) assessment implementation committee for universities, said that the Ministry of Education would disburse the fund to the various universities for the payment of lecturers’ allowances. While appealing to ASUU to shelve its industrial action, Mr. Suswam frowned at the union’s claims that the earlier disbursement of N100 billion by the government for infrastructures in the universities was done without consultations. Last week, the ASUU leadership expressed concerns that a clear procedure for assessing the funds by the universities is yet to be defined. Nasir Fagge, ASUU President, had insisted that only the provision of N500 billion would meet the immediate needs of the universities. ...

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo was down with cold weekend and missed the controversial national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Abuja due to the condition, an aide has said. One of Mr. Obasanjo’s aides and loyalists,Tunji Akinosi, told PREMIUM TIMES in Abeokuta on Sunday via telephone chat, that it would have been “odd and embarrassing” for the former president to be at the convention with the condition. Mr. Akinosi, a former commissioner in the state under the Gbenga Daniel, added that Mr. Obasanjo had really wanted to attend the event. According to Mr. Akinosi, the former president had lamented that it was the first time he was missing the convention since the party was formed. “You know it would be odd for him to be there and be uncomfortable as a result of the cough and cold. If he does that, it is people who will still blame him for not staying back. So, his reason for not attending was on medical grounds,...

Mr AbdulWaheed Olanipekun of the the PDP has emerged Chairman of the Offa Local Government Council in a re-run election, conducted in the area on Saturday. The Chairman of the Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission (KWASICE), Dr Uthman Ajidagba, made the disclosure on Sunday in Offa, near Ilorin, while announcing the result of the elections. He said that contestants on the platform of the PDP also emerged winners as councillors in all the 12 wards in the Local Government. Ajidagba said that Olanipekun polled 35,937 votes against the 20,161 votes, polled by the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Saheed Popoola. The KWASIEC boss said that since Olanipekun had satisfied the requirement of the law by having majority of lawful votes, he was therefore, elected and returned as chairman of the council. He noted that there were reports of attempted violence from some supporters of political parties during collation of results at wards but that...

JOHANNESBURG (AFP) – South Africa’s anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela was Sunday discharged from hospital where he has been treated since June 8 for a recurring respiratory illness, the presidency said. “Former President Nelson Mandela has this morning, 1 September 2013, been discharged from the Pretoria hospital where he has been receiving treatment,” said a statement. It is said his condition “remains critical and is at times unstable.” An ambulance with police escort was seen arriving at his suburban home, north of Johannesburg, shortly after 0900 GMT. Officials said the 95-year-old will receive the same intensive care from his Johannesburg home. “If there are health conditions that warrant another admission to hospital in future, this will be done.” President Jacob Zuma’s office said the elderly statesman has been treated by “a large medical team from the military, academia, private sector and othe...

*The quarrel with sister moments before risky action *Why he survived inside aircraft’s wheel — Expert Madam Evelyn Ohikhena, like many other Nigerians, was shocked when she was informed by her sister in-law in Germany, that her son, Daniel, stowed from Benin- City to Lagos via an Arik flight penultimate Saturday. Before the call from the sister who read the story online on Sunday morning, Madam Oikhena had gone to the police station to report a case of missing person. The mother, a saloonist with four children, was invited, on Tuesday, by officials of the Department of State Security (DSS). She narrated her ordeal to Sunday Vanguard thereafter. “My son’s name is Ricky Daniel. He answers one name in school and another one at home. He is in JSS 1. Before now, he was in a private school Young Scholars, but, because I could not afford his school fees when my saloon got burnt, I now took him to Ogbe Secondary School to continue his third ter...

No fewer than three persons were killed while 17 others were, yesterday, injured in an autocrash in Darazo local government area of Bauchi State, about 25 kilometres away from an army check point in a village called Gindin Tsamiya. The accident, which occurred around 7.24 pm, involved a Toyota Camry car with number plate, AKK 281 AA, and a Toyota commercial bus with number plate, XA 789 GML. Bauchi State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Mr. Sunday Henry Olatunji, who confirmed the incident, said 20 people were involved in the crash. According to him,“Out of the 20 persons involved in the crash, we have 15 men, one female and two male children. Three persons, which include two men and a male child, were confirmed dead while 17 persons sustained injuries”. The sector commander, who gave the names of the drivers of the two vehicles as Jafaru Ali and Aminu Dauda, said that when FRSC officers at Darazo command received information about...

Rotary club ilorin,district 9125 Nigeria did their official investiture ceremony of rotn. (elder ).Mike medaiyese kayode phf+5 aka double "G " as the 10th president and celebration of the 10th year anniversary on Saturday 31St of August, at the banquet hall of kwara hotels ilorin! The event was graced by important personalities  in the society Who has witnessed  the impacts made by the great  club! Highlights of the event was the speech given by the guest speaker in person of barrister Femi mokikan titled: WHO WILL BRING BACK YESTERDAY! Which speaks on the issues affecting our great country and Where everything went wrong! Other programmes  of the events include installation of the president, inaugural address, induction of BOD members, presentation of club projects, presentation of awards and lots more! ROTARY club ilorin is there for people Who are ready to sacrifice part of time resources and lots more  to the greater good of the society! Part of What t...

Pa Adebisi Adegoke, 85, and a former chief relations officer of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, retired in 1990. In this interview, he speaks on how he, a Muslim, has been living with his Christian wife, Iyabo, 74, for the past 52 years and why the railway of his time was effective. The beginning I was born in 1928 in Oyan, Osun State. At a very early age, I was taken to Ghana where I started Quranic School. My uncle had sent for me to come there. The idea then was that I would be trading with him because he was a trader, and at the same time schooling, but it was when I got there that he discovered that that I was too fragile to be involved in trading. So, I started going to Quranic School first before going to conventional school. This was after I had clocked 13. I went to Ogbomosho Baptist School established by Ogbomosho settlers in Ghana. Then I went to Anshate Kotoko School. I returned home in 1946 after I had completed Standard Six. It was in Saint Paul...

A new party recently formed by associates of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Movement, PDM, has praised leading members of the Peoples Democratic Party for walking out of the ruling party’s special convention Saturday and announcing a parallel faction. Atiku’s associates formed the PDM weeks ago and there are speculations that the platform was registered principally to actualize the presidential ambition of the former vice president. The PDP had today descended into a full blown crisis when Atiku, seven state governors and other leading party members walked out of the Abuja convention and then addressed a press conference to say they had taken over the party. But in a statement Saturday night, National Chairman of the PDM, Bashir Yusuf Ibrahim, praised the dissenting PDP chieftains for displaying bravery and statesmanship in challenging authorities of the PDP. “The Peoples Democratic Movement today salutes the b...

At least 24 members of the youth vigilante assisting Nigerian security officials to hunt for members of the Boko Haram were on Friday killed after an ambush by members of the sect, military officials said. The attack took place near Monguno Town, 158km from Maiduguri, the Borno State capital. A security operative, who doesn’t want to be quoted in the press as he is not permitted to do so, said 36 members of the youth vigilante could not be accounted for, while the corpses of the 24 slain members of ‘Civilian-JTF’ were being retrieved. “They suffered a massive ambush attack, 24 of them were found dead, while about 36 of them, according to few of them who managed to escape the ambush, could not be accounted for,” the official said. Escaped vigilante members told security officials that those who attacked them were disguised in military uniform. ‘The vigilante youths numbering over 100 were on a mission to capture some Boko Ha...

The Federal Road Safety Commission , FRSC, Kano State Command, on Friday reminded vehicle owners that it would enforce the deadline on the old number plates and driver’s licence from October 1. The Public Relations Officer of the command, Kabiru Daura, said the agency had written reminders to government ministries and agencies on the issue and many of them had responded positively. The agency advised vehicle owners to change their number plates to the new one to avoid embarrassment. Mr. Daura said the enforcement would begin nationwide on October 1.

The Vice Chancellor of the Kwara State University , Malete, Prof. AbdulRasheed Na’Allah, has urged the Federal Government and the lecturers’ union, ASUU, to resolve their differences in the interest of the nation’s university system. Mr. Na’Allah, who made the call on Friday in Malete, told journalists that the continued face-off had the potential of eroding the confidence of the public in the nation’s university system. He blamed both parties for the protracted strike, saying they had not properly channelled their energies toward resolving the conflict. Mr. Na’Allah said that the Federal Government and ASUU must work together to enable the nation’s universities compete favourably with their counterparts worldwide. He also said there was the need for universities and degree-awarding institutions to tailor their curriculum toward imparting entrepreneurial skills in their students. The vice-chancellor said it was only by s...

The British Prime Minister, David Cameron , suffered a humiliating defeat when his motion in favour of military intervention in Syria was narrowly defeated by parliament. Also, Germany will not take part in any military action against Syria, Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Friday. The vote means the close U.S. ally would not participate if U.S. President, Barack Obama, launches a strike on Syria in response to a poison gas attack last week that killed hundreds of people. Members of Mr. Cameron’s own Conservative party voted with the Labour opposition to defeat the motion 285 to 272. There were shouts of “resign”‘ from Labour lawmakers after the results of the vote were announced. “It is clear to me that the British parliament, reflecting the views of the British people, does not want to see British military action,” Mr. Cameron told lawmakers. “I get that and the government will act accordingly.” Mr. Cameron said...