Monday, October 28, 2013

Osun Assembly to scrap non-performing govt agencies

The Osun House of Assembly On Monday in Osogbo threatened to recommend government agencies that were not performing to expectations for scrapping.
Mr Folorunsho Bamisayemi, Chairman House Committee on Education, Science and Technology, made the threat when the the State Property Development Corporation (PDC) appeared before the committee for its 2013 budget performance review.
Bamisayemi said the House noticed that in its presentation the PDC had not been generating revenue for the state.
“During the next budget review, I can assure you that some of us may press for the total scrapping of your agency and some other agencies that are dormant like yours.
“If you are creative, there are so many things you can do to make the government feel your impact. But if you continue this
way, we will not have other option than to recommend your scrapping.
“Those working in that agency are just collecting salaries without doing anything. The government cannot continue to pump money where there is no positive result,” Bamisayemi said.
Also speaking, Mr Kamil Oyedele, Chairman, House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, urged the management of the corporation to be creative and come up with ideas that could assist them in generating revenue.
Oyedele said next year’s budget would not be business as usual, the House would only approve budget to government agencies based on their actual performances in terms of internally generated revenue.
Responding, the newly-appointed Board Chairman of the Corporation, Mr Tunde Faleye, said when he assumed office in July, he noticed the observations of the Assembly that the corporation was dormant.
Faleye said since he assumed office, the board members had been working assiduously to change the situation with a view to making the corporation a more functioning agency.
Faleye said that the board had put all the necessary arrangements on ground to increase the internally generated revenue of the agency.

Storm disrupts UK power, flights



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Storm-force winds bring flooding, travel disruption and power cuts to UK

Winds gusting up to 99mph bring chaotic start to working week as weather system sweeps in from Atlantic across southern Britain
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    Andrew Culf 
    theguardian.com, Monday 28 October 2013 09.35 GMT 
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Car crushed by fallen tree in London
High winds bring down a tree on top of a car in north London
Storm-force winds gusting up to 99mph are battering southern parts of the UK, bringing widespread travel disruption, flooding and power cuts.
The intense storm, which swept in overnight, was causing a chaotic start to the working week with roads impassable because of fallen trees and surface water, and major bridges closed because of the high winds.
UK Power Networks said 140,000 homes were without power in southern counties, while Western Power Distribution said 6,000 homes were affected in the south-west.
Most rail companies in the south of England suspended early morning services, with many trains not expected to run until after 9am, when Network Rail staff have been able to check the tracks were safe.
Network Rail said more than 100 trees had fallen on the tracks – it had cleared more than 40 blockages and was expecting to deal with more. There was also a landslip in the New Forest and a train was disabled after hitting a tree at Ivybridge, in Devon, although no one was injured.
Around 130 fights were cancelled at Heathrow airport and the port of Dover was closed at 6.30am.
The Environment Agency has issued 17 flood warnings, 15 in the south-west, and 141 flood alerts for the rest of England and Wales.
A teenage boy is feared dead after being swept out to sea in Newhaven, East Sussex on Sunday afternoon. The search for him was expected to resume on Monday morning.
The Met Office said the wind reached more than 99mph on the Isle of Wight at 5am. The storm, named St Jude after the feast day of the patron saint of lost causes, hit the south-west late on Sunday night before tracking north-east across England and southern Wales in the early morning.
Chris Burton, a forecaster with MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said: “The storm is currently over the south Midlands, but it is moving in a large swathe across the country.
“The strongest winds are around Dorset, Somerset and the Hampshire areas, and they are going to spread north and east in the next few hours.
“The highest winds have hit 99mph in exposed areas on the Isle of Wight.
“Elsewhere it has reached 80mph in Portland in Dorset and 75mph at Yeovilton in Somerset, but gusts are widely reaching 50mph.
“Over the next few hours we will be expecting gusts of 60mph in central, south-eastern areas and East Anglia, with the potential of winds reaching 80mph, possibly higher, on the south coast.
“But by mid-morning it should have eased off quite quickly and moved over the North Sea, and winds will die down by about 10am.”
On the roads, both Severn bridges, the Queen Elizabeth II bridge on the M25 and the A249 Sheppey Crossing in Kent are closed.
The M11 was closed southbound near Harlow, in Essex, by an overturned lorry and the Blackwall tunnel under the river Thames in London was closed because of fallen scaffolding.
There are also widespread reports of local roads in Cornwall, Dorset, Hampshire and Sussex blocked or closed as a result of fallen trees and flash flooding.
A police car was damaged by a falling tree on the B2104 in Sussex, officers said, and a vehicle hit a fallen tree in Langney Rise, Eastbourne. The driver was uninjured, police said.
By 6.30am there were reports of 125 trees down across Sussex, while Kent police said 70 trees had come down in the county. Pollce in Hampshire warned motorists not to travel unless necessary. Whitehall was closed in central London by a collapsed crane.
Train companies in the south were running either amended services or no service at all before 9am. Southeastern, South West Trains, Southern and Greater Anglia were all telling commuters to check before trying to travel and warning there would be amended timetables and significant disruption.
There were no trains between Peterborough and London King’s Cross on the East Coast mainline and delays to service heading into Euston and Paddington.
London Overground trains were not due to begin until 9am, and Eurostar said nothing would run until 7am at the earliest.
More than 40 railway line blockages caused by falling trees have been cleared, but more are expected to be found, Network Rail’s managing director of operations, Robin Gisby, has said.
Several hundred Network Rail (NR) staff worked through the night to deal with disruption caused by the severe weather.
Special trains have been used to clear tracks, Gisby said: “In four cases the train being sent through to inspect the line has hit a fallen tree and we have one train in Devon which is currently disabled following a collision with a fallen tree. We are also dealing with a landslip in the New Forest area.”
Gisby added: “As the storm passes from west to east, we will be carrying out safety assessments as quickly as possible to clear routes and get trains running safely.
“We now expect to start services into Waterloo before 9am. Routes from Sussex, Kent and Anglia will follow. Services elsewhere into London are running but at reduced capacity and speed.”
Transport for London (TfL) said there was disruption to six underground lines due to debris on the tracks. The Bakerloo, Central, Jubilee, Metropolitan, Northern and Piccadilly lines were all partially closed while workers removed fallen trees and other obstructions.
About 130 flights have been cancelled at Heathrow and severe disruption was reported at London City, Stansted and Gatwick airports. Gatwick Express and Stansted Express rail services were not running.
Ferry journeys were also being disrupted, with P&O Condor, DFDS Seaways and Hovertravel all reporting cancellations. Dover was closed when winds gusted up to 65 knots.
The coastguard will decide on its next course of action in the search for a 14-year-old boy who disappeared in rough conditions while playing in the sea at Newhaven on Sunday.
Rescue services including a helicopter and a lifeboat searched for the missing boy, but the coastguard stood down its search on Sunday evening in “atrocious” conditions.
Sussex police again warned people not to play on the seafront. Superintendent Grenville Wilson said: “At 3.30am, I was watching people on CCTV on Brighton Beach dancing around at the waves’ edge, occasionally being overtaken by the advancing water. One slip and they could have found themselves in real danger, along with the people who would try to rescue them.
“We witnessed the tragic power of the sea at Newhaven yesterday and our thoughts are with the family and friends of the young lad who is sadly still missing. I don’t want to see that repeated.”

Conrad Murray completes jail term for Jackson’s murder

Dr. Conrad Murray left the Los Angeles County jail under sheriff’s escort, avoiding reporters and Michael Jackson fans waiting for his release early Monday.
Murray, who served two years of a four-year sentence for causing Michael Jackson’s death, was driven away in a sheriff’s car for the “safety and security” of the jail, sheriff’s spokesman Steve Whitmore said.
The handful of Jackson fans gathered outside the jail accused the Los Angeles County sheriff of showing favoritism to Murray by slipping him out of the jail through a back exit, instead of the door where freed prisoners normally leave.
Murray, who the sheriff’s spokesman described as an exemplary inmate, was kept away from the general inmate population during his two years in the jail. He was also allowed to have liberal use of a telephone inside his cell during his last year.
Murray’s lawyer told reporters outside the jail that he would try to get his medical licenses reinstated in California, Texas and Nevada so he can resume the medical career interrupted by his conviction on the involuntary manslaughter in 2011.

Policeman, NSCDC officer crushed while rescuing accident victims

A policeman and an official of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps lost their lives while attempting to rescue victims of a road accident in the Ikeja area of Lagos State on Saturday.
According to police authorities, policemen attached to the State Traffic Division were alerted of a multiple accidents around Ikeja Along Bus Stop on the Agege Motor Road and had rushed to the scene around 7am.
On getting to the scene, the police team noticed the corpses of two pedestrians at the centre of the expressway.
A few metres away, there was also an accident involving a truck and two commercial buses.
Our correspondent learnt that the police team, in company with a civil defence officer, were able to rescue all the passengers in the commercial buses after which they were taken to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital.
It was learnt that a few minutes after rescuing the victims, the policemen and the NSCDC officer were hit by a reckless driver in a Sports Utility Vehicle while they were attempting to recover the corpses of the pedestrians.
Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, said the incident occurred a few minutes before the compulsory monthly sanitation exercise.
She said, “Around 7am, state traffic policemen were alerted of multiple accidents around IkejaAlong Bus Stop. On getting there, the policemen observed the crushed corpses of two pedestrians at the centre of the expressway.
“A few metres away, there was another accident involving two commercial buses and a truck. The policemen were able to rescue the victims in the buses and conveyed them unto an ambulance. The policemen stood nearby by the BRT Bus Stop to get a vehicle into which they could put the corpses.
“However, some minutes later, a white jeep parked at the centre of the road for unknown reasons. Another vehicle, which was coming behind with high speed, did not notice the vehicle on time and attempted to avoid hitting the white jeep.
“However, the driver swerved to where the policemen were and knocked them down. One policeman died on the spot as well as the civil defence man. Another policeman was also injured but survived. Meanwhile, the driver has been arrested and investigations are ongoing.”
Braide warned motorists to be safety conscious especially during the ember months and also obey the movement restriction on environmental sanitation days.

Autocrash: Fayemi’s convoy rescues 18

The convoy of Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State on Sunday rescued 18 accident victims along Ife-Ibadan road, a few kilometres to Ikire, Osun State.
The Ado-Ekiti bound commercial bus with registration number LAGOS XY 327 FKJ, reportedly somersaulted on its way from Ibadan.
According to a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr.Yinka Oyebode, Fayemi, whose convoy was Lagos-bound, directed his convoy to stop at the scene of the crash.
The statement said the governor directed his personal doctor to administer first aid on the victims and arrange their movement to the nearest hospital with the convoy ambulance.
The statement said, “Governor Fayemi gave a cash donation to the victims to cater for their treatment and for their luggage which got destroyed in the crash.”
All the passengers were said to have been injured in the process.
No death was however recorded.

Leadership institute inducts 178 graduates

The Institute of Management, Leadership and Productivity Development on Saturday held its second edition of induction ceremony in Ibadan, with 178 candidates receiving certificates.
Those who were inducted were drawn from the three centres of the institute across Nigeria. Deputy registrar of the institute, David Imhonopi, said the institute helped in the development of young graduates and professionals to take an active role in nation building and correct several ills that have brought failure to leadership in Nigeria.
He said, “This is an institute established to address key leadership issues in our society. The future of any nation has to do with the youths. What we do is to teach the youth the act of leadership with a view to making them enviable leaders in this country. We are breeding leaders that are capable of knowing what to do when they assume the position of leadership rather than learning through the ranks. My advice to them is to hinge their life on integrity because that is one major feature of leadership that is lacking in Nigeria today.”
The institute’s Director of Membership, Friday Ibadume, said there were three categories of leadership training at the institute.
“The Graduate Leadership and Management Professional is the first stage which involves young Nigerians who are graduates or still studying. We believe that it is necessary to catch them young because they are loaded with lots of potential.
“The Associate Leadership and Management Professional is the next stage before attaining full Executive Leadership and Management Professional category. We also have the fellows’ category but our duty does not stop after the award of certificates, we invite them for refresher courses regularly,” he said.
The first induction was held in Port Harcourt in 2012 with 60 candidates awarded certificates. One of those who were inducted on Saturday, Emmanuel Aigbodega, said he decided to enrol at the institute in order to prepare for the challenges of the future.
“We have witnessed a lot of leadership challenges in Nigeria but if we have to address it, then today’s youth need guidance,” he said.

Arewa group seeks true federalism, LG autonomy

The Arewa Citizens Action for Change has advocated the full implementation of the principles of true federalism and granting of autonomy to local governments for the nation to develop.
Niger State Co-ordinator of the group, Alhaji Mohammed Mohammed, in a presentation to the Committee on National Dialogue in Minna on Monday said democracy should be allowed to thrive in Nigeria.
The group enjoined the committee to ensure that independent groups, rather than ethnicity, should be the basis for representation at the conference.
The ACAC said, “Government must not be the one to determine or select participants for the conference. We wish to emphasise our desire for a better Nigeria where citizens would live in peace and harmony and put efforts together to bring about development of our country.
“We wish for a state of peace where individuals will have the means to actualise their dreams and aspirations. We encourage the need for local governments to be autonomous and believe that this dialogue would yield progressive results when government interferes less in the process but ensure that recommendations are collated and implemented.”

RIBADU MEETS WAMAKKO, OYINLOLA •Over possible defection to APC •G7 govs meet, release statement today

AS the New Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP) considers options, a secret meeting was, on Sunday night, held among the trio of Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu and Governor Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto State.
A source at the meeting said it was held at the residence of the Sokoto State governor.
The meeting repoedly lasted about two hours, with Ribadu being the first to leave, followed by the former governor of Osun State, Prince Oyinlola.
The source hinted that Ribadu was carrying a message from the leadership of APC, though details was not disclosed. It was learnt that it was Ribadu that had been facilitating movement of Governor Murtala Nyako boys into APC in Adamawa State.
Further checks revealed that Nyako had been working on his colleagues to cross over to APC, as the presence of Ribadu was said to have confirmed that the splinter PDP and APC were, indeed, talking.
Meanwhile, the meeting of G7 governors ended on Sunday night without any communique or statement from the group, with none of the governors talking to the press.
The meeting, which had five out of the seven governors in attendance, lasted for about 45 minutes at the Kano governor’s logde.
As of the time of filing this report, some of the governors were back in their base.
Newsmen, who had kept vigil at the Sokoto governor’s lodge, later scampered to the Kano governor’s logde by which time the governors were already entering setting out in their cars.
Governors at the meeting included Nyako of Adamawa, Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano, Wamakko of Sokoto, Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers and Sule Lamido of Jigawa.
When contacted, the publicity secretary of the New PDP, Chief Chukwuemeka Eze, declined to speak on the outcome, informimg that “we are issuing a statement tommorow.We will issue a statement which will list the conclusions reached.”
There were, however, reports of division among the G7 governors, who met on Sunday night in Abuja, over whether to quit or stay within the mainstream PDP.
Informed sources hinted that the main agenda of the meeting was to determine the next line of action for the group, after series of setbacks in their bid to take over the main party.
The group had, so far, lost two court cases and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has delivered its ruling, reaffirming Alhaji Bamanga Tukur as the validly elected chairman of the party.
While the group, through its spokesman, Chief Chukwuemeka Eze, had denied any rift within the group, the Nigerian Tribune gathered that the issue of way forward had split the governors into two camps.
A camp led by the Adamawa State governor, Nyako, was said to be pushing for an exit from the PDP and had already sent his aides to defect to APC.
Reports also had it that Amaechi was ousted from PDP, while Wamakko was said to be following the path of Nyako.
Another group reportedly led by Lamido was insisting on staying within the PDP, a position reportedly shared by the Niger State governor, Babangida Aliyu.
Further checks showed that those pushing to quit the PDP were also not sure of which party to go.
While Nyako had endorsed APC, others were said to be looking in the direction of Bashir Yusuf-led Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM).
It was learnt that some elements within the New PDP were not happy with the actions already taken by the Adamawa governor, whose action of getting his aides to defect to APC they saw as undermining their claim to the leadership of the PDP
Insiders within the political camps of Governors Kwankwaso of Kano and Wamakko of Sokoto said the two leaders were worried about how to tackle their rivals already entrenched within AP C in both states.
Former Sokoto State governor, Attahiru Bafarawa, is the current leader of APC in Sokoto, while former Kano State governor, Ibrahim Shekarau, is the APC leader in Kano.
The option of moving to PDM was also said to be creating ripples, as many of the governors still believed former Vice President Atiku Abubakar still nursed presidential ambition.
Don’t admit Nyako, APC chief warns
A chieftain of APC and former governorship candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Adamawa State, Mr Markus Gundiri, has warned that Nyako’s admission into the party would only serve to destabilise it.
Speaking in Abuja at the weekend, Gundiri said Governor Nyako and his colleague governors had excess baggage which they would bring into APC, advising that it was best if they stayed in PDP to resolve their differences.
“They now want to get out of PDP and go somewhere else. But frankly speaking, whichever party they go, they will create problem there,” he warned.
Gundiri said with the development now in Adamawa, people were at a loss as to why APC was bringing in strange bed fellows from another party.
“If they have problem in their house, they have to stay there and solve it. Why coming to other people’s house with their problem?
“So, if you now bring people from outside the four merged parties and you make them custodians of APC, there would be problem.
“It cannot just work. What we are saying to the chieftains of APC is to treat the admission of these people with caution in Adamawa State,” he said.

I can be world’s best – Enyeama

Nigerian goalkeeper, Vincent Enyeama believes he can be the best goal keeper in the world.
Enyeama’s statistics are frightening this term as he has conceded goals in only two of Lille’s eleven league games in Ligue 1.
The shot-stopper kept another clean sheet on Friday as Lille beat Nantes 1-0 on match day 11 but he is not resting on his laurels even as Les Douges now sit in 2nd place in the league standings.
“It’s about work, work and even more hard work. I believe in hard work,” he told the club’s official website, www.losc.fr.
Enyeama is certainly enjoying the best spell of his professional career and he took the time to explain the steps he has taken to get to the top.
“(I have been) watching videos and looking at (my) mistakes. I keep striving day and night to correct them.
“When I make a mistake, I am hard on myself….more than I could get on someone else if he made the same mistake.
“That’s the way I am. I have set very high standards for myself. I believe I can be the best goal keeper in the world,” he said.
Enyeama has been capped 86 times for Nigeria since making his debut for the Super Eagles in 2002.

ASUU may call off strike this week

Indications emerged in Abuja on Tuesday in Abuja that the leaders of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) may yield to pressure from the public and call off the over three months old strike that has grounded academic activities in public universities.
Tempers have already began to rise from both parents and students over the protracted strike by the ASUU. The strike which was embarked on by the ASUU on 1st July, 2013 to press home for the implementation of the 2009 agreement with the Federal Government has defied all possible solution.
The Supervising Minister of Education, Barrister Nyesom Wike, speaking on Tuesday at anniversary lecture of the National Universities Commission tagged NUC @ 50+1, marking the 50th anniversary celebration in retrospect, also confirmed that the strike would soon be called off by the ASUU.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Dr. MacJohn Nwaobiala, Wike said government was concerned and is doing all it could to ensure the lecturers return to classrooms.
Based on the fresh agreement between the Federal Government and ASUU, the leadership of ASUU was supposed to brief its members at meeting after the Eid-el-kabir celebration.
Education Tribune gathered that ASUU actually met on Tuesday at an undisclosed venue, raising hope that they might come up with positive position. Though as at the time of writing this report, no clear information on the resolution of ASUU meeting was obtained.
After all the efforts by the immediate past Minister of Education, Professor Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufa’i, joined by the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu to resolve the impasse failed, not even the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim who later took over the mediatory role could resolve the crisis.
Now the battle ground has been shifted the ASO ROCK Presidential Villa, with the Vice-President, Arc. Namadi Sambo as chief negotiator.
Last week the Federal Government was said to have made fresh concession to the demands ASUU in a bid to end the strike.
Education Tribune, gathered that the negotiation with the leadership of the Union, which has now been taken by the Vice-President Arc. Namadi Sambo, struck a new deal last week.
In the new agreement reached with the Union, government has agreed to increase the N30 billion already released for the payment of academic Earned Allowance to N40 billion.
This according to sources in the meeting held with the Vice-President, Arc. Sambo, also agreed that the N40 billion should be regarded only as first instalment, and not a once-and-for-all payment.
The memorandum drafted at the of the meeting indicated that Government would top it up with further releases once universities are through with the disbursement of this new figure of N40 million.
Accordingly, Vice-Chancellors have been urged to expedite this disbursement within the shortest possible time using guiding templates that have been sent by the Committee of Vice Chancellors to them.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim had disclosed that some of the terms of agreement that have been met by the government.
He said: “After series of discussions involving the National Assembly, the SGF, the Chairman of the Needs Assessment Report Implementation Committee, Governor Gabriel Suswam, the Ministers of Education, Labour and the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and other stakeholders, Government has now provided N30 billion to support the University Councils in settling the Earned Allowances”.
According to him, all other issues of Consolidated Salary Structure for Academics in Nigerian Universities (CONUASS II, amendment of Pensionable Retirement Age of Academics in the Professorial cadre to 70 years have been fully implemented.
Anyim said most of the issues contained in the 2009 agreement, which necessitated the current strike have been fully met except for the earned allowances which ASUU pegged at N92billion. He said, “On July 2nd, 2013, ASUU declared what it called, “total and indefinite strike” over issues it says have remained unresolved pertaining to an agreement it reached with government in 2009

431,000 jobs generated in first quarter 2013, says NBS

No fewer than 431, 021 jobs were generated in the first quarter of this year while the economy generated 385, 913 jobs in the last quarter of last year, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), said yesterday.
The development shows an 11.69 per cent increase between the two quarters.
According to the result of the survey issued by the NBS, in the 4th Quarter of 2012, 152,018 jobs were created in the formal sector, 208,920 jobs in the Informal sector and 24,975 in the public sector.
The formal sector it said, contributed 174,326 jobs to the total jobs generated in the 1st Quarter of 2013, while the Informal and public sectors generated 232,327 and 24,368 jobs.
The survey report sent by the NBS reads: “The informal sector generated1/3 more jobs than the formal sector in the same first quarter 2013. However, the formal sector shows the greatest increase between the two quarters of 14.68% more jobs created than in the fourth quarter of 2012. Job creation in the Public sector is the only area to exhibit a decline from the fourth quarter of 2012 to the first of 2013.
“Analysis of the formal jobs created shows the Education sector provided the most jobs in both quarters, making up 50.35% of new jobs in the fourth quarter 2012 and 39.49% in the first quarter 2013. Financial Intermediation contributed the second largest portion of 15.9% of jobs created in the fourth quarter of 2012, increasing by a further 6.60% points to 22.51% in the first quarter of 2013. Mining and quarrying generated the least employment in the industrial sector, constituting just 0.14% and 0.11% of all jobs created in the last quarter 2012 and the first of 2013 respectively. The fastest growth in job creation comes from the Wholesale and Retail Trade Sector, with 100.9% increase in job creation between the two quarters. Substantial increases in the number of formal jobs created also can be found in Real Estate, Renting and Business Activities, with 66.6% increase,
“Manufacturing with a 63.2% increase and Financial Intermediation, with a 62.3% increase in jobs created. Only two sectors witnessed a decline in job creation between the two quarters. Firstly, mining and quarrying which created 10.9% fewer jobs than in the previous quarter. Secondly in the Education sector, which was not able to sustain its high rate of job creation, witnessing a 15.86% point decline in the number of jobs created relative to the fourth quarter of 2012.
“The most cited reason for new employment is ‘Other’ which has a share of 11.36 and 11.46 in Q4 2012 and Q1 2013 respectively. However, reasons for employment are fairly equally distributed over the two periods, with each category retaining a 10-11% share of responses; there is a less than 1% point change in between categories across the two periods even when looking at individual sectors. However, although small, some changes are notable. For instance, the greatest increase of 0.80% comes from the promotion of the occupant of the position, which eludes towards an expansion of managerial positions and an upward mobility within the workplace. Secondly there is a 0.54% increase in job creation due to a new skill being required in the office, showing an increase in the technical requirements of businesses.
“In Q4 of 2012, 119,905 full time formal jobs created compared to 145,032 jobs in Q1 of 2013 indicating an increaseof20.96% infill time employment between the two quarters. On the other hand, part time employment 29,293 jobs, which are a 9.62% decline on the Q4 2012 number of 32,112.The top three sectors that produced the highest numbers of fulltime jobs in Q4 2012, were Education, followed by Financial Intermediation and then Health and Social Work. In Q1 of 2013, the same sectors maintained the top three positions for generating fulltime jobs. This is indicative of the huge investment of resources in these sectors, particularly in the Education and Health sectors.”

EFCC indicts judges, to meet CJN over trial

A number of judges probed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had been reportedly indicted for allegedly acquiring wealth not analogous to their legitimate earnings.
 The leadership of the commission was planning an interface with the
Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) on the findings.
A date is, however, yet to be fixed for the meeting.
A top system source disclosed that the likely prosecution of the indicted judges would also be discussed at the meeting.
The meeting was reportedly conceived in order for the CJN not to be caught unawares when the planned prosecution takes off.
It was also learnt that the planned talks between the two parties would also feature how to achieve speedy prosecution of corruption cases in the country.
The usual frustration the commission encountered in the prosecution of politically-exposed-persons was also an item for the planned parley.
The probe of the judges started last year, with about 20 said to have been investigated.
Special focus was reportedly given to a particular set of five, whose material possessions, particularly properties, cash-in-bank and choice cars were said to have defied logic of genuine earning.
It was learnt that a chief judge that resigned a few months back was allegedly one of the indictees.
In a probe conducted by the National Judicial Council (NJC) against him before he resigned, several properties in Abuja and his northern home-state, including high-octane shopping malls, were allegedly traced to him.
After his exit, petitions were still streaming into the council against him, alleging fraud and corruption.
A judge who handled a high-profile corruption case against a top politician who allegedly compromised the judge for favourable judgement was also alleged to be another indictee.
NJC probe panel also indicted him for unethical conduct, though still in service.
Another judge, who gave a judgement which drew the ire of the council, was also said to be involved.
A certain chief judge still in service was also mentioned.
Though still in service, he was said to have had several brushes with the system and on many times accused of shielding corrupt judges in his domain.
A senior justice who once headed an institution, according to the Nigerian Tribune source, was also likely on the list, as he was under the scrutiny of the NJC.
In the course of the investigation, bank accounts of the jurists were reportedly scrutinised, while the ownership of the properties linked to them were said to have been investigated, as well as their financial transactions.
High net-worth properties in choice cities in Nigeria and abroad were said to have been linked to some of the jurists as well.
In 2011, the anti-graft commission had confirmed that it was probing a judge for an alleged N10 billion bribery scam.
It could not be confirmed if the judge was among the reported indictees.
The cell phone of the spokesperson of the commission, Wilson Uwujaren, was said to be out of service when calls to confirm the development were placed.

Moses dropped for tactical reasons –Rodgers

Liverpool manager, Brendan Rodgers has allayed fears over the first-team future of Nigerian winger, Victor Moses.
Moses was an unused substitute in the Reds’ 4-1 win over West Bromwich Albion at Anfield on Saturday.
Brazilian, Lucas Leiva was drafted in as Moses’ replacement but Rogers has now moved to clarify the situation insisting that his Nigerian dynamite has not lost his place in the first-team.
Liverpool’s comprehensive win coupled with the side’s impressive all-round display has now raised eyebrows in some quarters with some questioning the ability of Moses to force his way back to reckoning in the first-team.
Rodgers however, insists Moses is still part of the first-team.
“Moses has obviously done very well for us since his arrival on loan from Chelsea. I only dropped him (from the team that beat WBA) for tactical reasons. He’s still very much part of the first team,” he told ITV.
The 22-year-old starlet has made five league appearances and scored once since completing his loan switch from London on transfer deadline day.
Moses who is also a regular in Nigeria’s national team has scored five goals in 14 appearances for the Super Eagles.

N2.1bn earned allowance •We won’t succumb to FG’s propaganda - ASUU

BARRING any last minute-change of mind, the entire operations of the University of Ibadan (UI) may be grounded from Tuesday over dispute on the recent N40 billion released out of the N100 billion promised by the Federal Government to federal universities.
The two major unions at the nation’s premier university are at the loggerheads over the N2.1billion that came to UI as its share from the earned allowance, which was paid to end the four-month old strike by university lecturers across the country.
Members of the Non-Academic Union of Nigerian University (NASU) branch of the university are piling pressure on the university authorities to immediately share the money to all academic and non-academic staff of the institution.
It was gathered that NASU has threatened to paralyse activities in the university, including shutting all offices, should the authorities refuse to disburse the N2.1 billion today.
NASU’s decision followed reports that in the University of Ilorin, whose academic staff are not part of the ongoing strike by university lecturers, the allowance was shared across board.
However, the members of the Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (ASUU) of the university were said to be against the disbursement of the N2.1 billion that accrued to the institution pending the resolution of the current strike by its members.
ASUU chairman for the university, Dr Segun Ajiboye, while reacting to the development, said ASUU had always explained that all staff in the school, whether academic or otherwise, would benefit from the money.
He appealed to NASU members to exercise more patience and await the disbursement of more money by the Federal Government before the whole lump sum would be shared.
According to sources, the sharing formula had almost been reportedly concluded by the appropriate accounting department of the university when ASUU leadership got wind of it and kicked against the plan to avert another round of crisis.
It was learnt that in anticipation of the windfall, some NASU members had even begun to plan how they hoped to spend their share once it was disbursed before ASUU members came up with its position on the matter.
But following the decision of ASUU to throw spanner into the works, NASU members were said to have met and resolved to take a number of radical steps, one of which is to begin a strike on Monday.
Another plan by NASU, it was learnt, is to hold the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Issac Adewole, hostage, even though he was said to have travelled to Abuja for a meeting of vice-chancellors with the supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike.
Meanwhile, the striking universities lecturers have accused the Federal Government of using propaganda to blackmail them, vowing not to surrender cheaply in the struggle.
Chairman, University of Abuja Chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Mr Clement Chup, spoke with newsmen in Abuja, during the weekend, after the zonal meeting of the union.
He stressed that government must be honourable and responsible and implement the 2009 Agreement instead of feeding the public with falsehood.
“There is a lot of insincerity on the part of the government and because government has the machinery of propaganda at its disposal, it disseminates a lot of falsehood to the general public,” Chup said.
This is even as another ASUU source told the Nigerian Tribune, in Abuja, that there was no plan to call off the about four-month old strike yet.
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, faulted reports credited to government officials that the strike would soon be called off, saying “these are diversionary tactics that won’t work.”
The UNIABUJA chairman of ASUU, maintained that what ASUU is demanding for was the implementation of the 2009 agreement, adding that what is expected of the government was to draw out modalities for genuine implementation of the agreement.
He said: “So far government has not come out to say, in the implementation of the agreement, this is what we will do. Rather, what government is trying to do is to run away from the agreement and we cannot accept that because the agreement is binding.”
He claimed that government had not been sincere in handling the contending issues, saying “government has been telling the general public that it released N100 billion two months ago. Up till now that we are talking, one kobo has not been released to any university.
“This is to tell you how insincere government is. So, when they say we would, as from next year, make budgetary provision for so, so and so amount; the question we should be asking ourselves is that what was spelt out in the agreement, which we are insisting that they should implement?
“They cannot even give you an answer to that. Inasmuch as we painfully went into this strike and painfully pursuing this strike; even though we want this strike to end, we cannot just end it without achieving the purpose for which we went to this strike,” he said.
He added that as long as the Federal Government does not show any sincerity to implement the agreement, the universities would remain shut.

GUS 10: Ifunanya is last girl standing

Ifunaya Onike has emerged as the last female Contestant Standing for Gulder Ultimate Search 10 as the only other female contestant, Tracy Chapelle, got evicted for finishing last in the Bridge of Life challenge after Martha, one of the Adeboye identical twins, was evicted in the Snake Maze challenge.
Ifunaya, as the last female contestant standing attracts a N1 million cash prize, in addition to whatever prize money the last female contestant carts home, based on performance.

Earlier in Gulder Ultimate Search 10, Tracy reluctantly went head to head against Ifunanya in the Mud of War challenge though she had earlier opted to challenge Martha Adeboye who belonged to the defunct Spears tribe but her choice was voided by Chidi Mokeme, the Anchor man, who insisted that she had to go against Ifunanya.

Ifunanya easily won her in the task. While Ifunanya belonged to the Spears tribe, Tracy was a member of the Swords. However, the remaining contestants from both tribes have now been fused into the Hammer tribe.

The fusion of both tribes brought to an end the mentorship roles played by Ezugo Egwuagwu and Dominic Mudabai. While Ezugo, the first ever winner of Gulder Ultimate Search, mentored the Spears, Dominic, winner of Gulder Ultimate Search 4, guided the Swords.

Of the 12 contestants that entered for Gulder Ultimate Search 10, only eight made it to the Hammer tribe stage. They are Edmund Chukwubuike, Bobby Ezidi, Kunle Salako, Tracy Chapele, Ifunanya Onike, Martha Adeboye, Dennis Okike and Anthony Brosu.

However, Martha, Anthony and Tracy have already been evicted. This brings the number of contestants still in contention to five.

Martha wished she had the opportunity of staying a little bit longer on the show and blamed her eviction on leg pains, stating that she was disappointed at her exit, she stated that she possessed physical endurance and mental strength.

She also felt elated that she would be reunited with her identical twin sister, Mary, who was evicted earlier in the show. Martha said: “I feel happy joining my sister because I felt I had been away from her for so long. We were not in the same tribe so we only got to say hello/hi, we never got to interact and talk to each other.”

She however predicted that either Edmund or Ifunanya would win emerge the Gulder Ultimate Search 10 Ultimate champion.

Anthony also stated that his eviction was unexpected and came as a big shock to him.

He remarked: “My eviction came to me as a big shock actually, I did not expect it but that’s Gulder Ultimate Search for you, you have to expect the unexpected.

I have that endurance but the ability to really calm down and reason is quite a bit difficult for me and we have been without food for some time now.

Everybody’s system is not the same.”