PDP Wins 31Chairmanship Councils in Akwa Ibom

Results from last Saturday’s local government election conducted by the Akwa Ibom State Independent Electoral Commission (AKISIEC) showed that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) cleared all 31 council positions and 325 councillorship seats.

Chairman of the commission, Mrs Gloria Ukpong, who released the results yesterday, disclosed that the PDP lost four councillorship positions to three opposition parties at the ward levels.

According to her, the ACN won a councillorship positions in Ikono and Mbo local government areas, while the ANPP won one ward in Ukanafun local government area, as UNPP also won a ward in Esit Eket local government area.

“I acknowledged the receipt of protest by some politicians on the conduct of the election. But we will not deal with protest because the state government will set up election petitions tribunal, where such matters will be determined. Election results are collected from the units to the wards and the local government levels; these results are released at different units and in line with our guidelines and Electoral Act,” she stated.

At the AKISIEC headquarters on yesterday a man suspected to be carrying fake election materials was arrested by security operatives at the gate of the commission, while trying to make his way into where the results were being read at about 4.50p.m.
The suspect, who allegedly came from Ikono with the materials, said he ran for safety with the materials when violence broke out during voting in the local government election in the area.

In a related development, policemen were said to have on election duty in Ikono local government area were said to have been attacked by hoodlums in the area.

In the course of the attack, two policemen were said to have been disarmed by hoodlums while one of them sustained severe matchet cut on the head.

Posted By Pachorace

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3-Day Mourning for 153 Air Crash Victims

Posted By Pachorace Ekpo

Two Major Generals, six children, six infants, a pregnant woman, several couples, a father and his daughter, many members of staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and several top personalities were on board the ill-fated Dana Airlines flight 0992 from Abuja to Lagos Sunday.

The flight, which took off from Abuja at 2.13pm, was expected to land in Lagos at 3.21pm. But it crashed into a residential area in Iju Ishaga, Agege, Lagos State.

There were no survivors while the number of residents killed in the affected houses is yet to be ascertained.

Meanwhile, President Goodluck Jonathan has declared three-day national mourning when flags are to be flown at half-mast.

He has also cancelled all public engagements following the tragedy, which came nearly six years after the last major crash of a passenger plane was recorded in the Nigerian air space.

The Federal Government said it would ensure that the accident would be thoroughly investigated to determine the exact cause of the accident.

The Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, who spoke at a press briefing late last night at the headquarters of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) said the action would help prevent a similar occurrence in the future.

The minister, who wept, said at about 3.43pm Sunday, DANA Air flight 0992 from Abuja to Lagos declared an emergency and May Day minutes later with the Lagos control tower at 11 nautical miles to Murtala Muhammed Airport.

A minute later, it crashed into residential buildings at Iju area of Agege, she said.

Jonathan had dispatched Oduah to the crash site to do on-the-spot assessment of the situation and submit an interim report immediately pending the full investigation.

A statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati said Jonathan was saddened by the further loss of life from the crash following bomb attacks which took place in churches in Bauchi, Bauchi State, and regretted the death had plunged the nation into further sorrow.

"The President joins all Nigerians in mourning all those who lost their lives in the plane crash which has sadly plunged the nation into further sorrow on a day when Nigerians were already in grief over the loss of many other innocent lives in the church bombing in Bauchi State.

"President Jonathan assures air travellers in the country that every possible effort will be made to ensure that the right lessons are learnt from the tragic loss of valuable lives in today’s plane crash and that further measures will be put in place to boost aviation safety in the country.

"He prays that God Almighty will grant the families of the victims of the plane crash the courage and fortitude to bear their irreparable loss," parts of the statement said.

There were unconfirmed reports making waves on the internet last night that the crashed aircraft was a former Alaskan Airlines plane built in 1990 that had been under repair for several weeks.

It was reported that the airline's station manager protested its use but the management insisted it should fly.

But a top official of the airline denied the reports Sunday as “a tissue of lies” without making any further comment.
From the manifest of the light released yesterday, there were several highlights:

• The spokesman of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Levi Ajuonuma, was on board the aircraft.

• Ehime Aikhomu, son of the former military Vice-President Augustus Aikhomu, was also on the flight.
• A resident of Magodo, Lagos State, Mrs Anjola Fatokun, was on the aircraft with her son, Olaoluwa, and newborn baby, Ibukun.

• Mrs Amaka Ojugbana and her little baby, Christopher, were also on board.
• Many members of staff of NNPC and CBN were also said to be on the flight.
• Two Major Generals, Tahir Umar and ID Muhammad, were also on board.

• Many of those the victims came for three different weddings which held in Abuja at the weekend.

• A former Deputy Inspector General of Police, Mr. John Ahmadu, was also involved in the crash.

*Five passengers gave their office address as National Universities Commission: Mrs Chinwe Obi, Mr. Celestine Onwuliri, Mr Mahmud Aukawa, Mrs Memuma Shaibu, and Mr Sonny Ehioghae

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Jonathan visits crash site pledges better air safety

Posted By Pachorace Ekpo
President Goodluck Jonathan pledged action to improve air safety Monday as he visited the crash site of an airliner that ploughed into a Lagos suburb, killing all 153 people on board.

“We have been working very hard to improve the aviation in this country,” Jonathan said after viewing the destruction caused by Sunday’s crash. “This particular incident is a major setback for us… By the end of the day, I will make sure that this will not repeat itself in the country.”

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Abiola deserves more than UNILAG – Aremu

Posted By Pachorace Ekpo


LAGOS – A Vice-President of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Mr Issa Aremu, yesterday, said the late Chief Kasimawo Abiola, winner of June 12, 1993 Presidential election, annulled by General Ibrahim Babangida, deserved more than the naming of University of Lagos, Unilag, after him.
Aremu, who spoke in Lagos, argued that it would have been better for the National Stadium in Abuja and any other institution with national outlook to be named after Abiola because of the supreme sacrifice he paid for the democracy Nigerians are enjoying today.
He also faulted plans by President Goodluck Jonathan to set up a national monument for presidents, urging him to instead  make it a democracy monument or museum to keep records for those who fought for democracy in the country.
Aremu, who is also General Secretary of the National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria, NUTGTWN, said President  Jonathan deserved commendation for the national honour, adding that this was the first time MKO Abiola was being nationally honoured.
He said, “They are planning to build a presidential monument to keep the history and records of previous presidents, a museum of some sort. If it must be a museum, it should not just be for the presidents. It should be a democracy monument or museum, which should include the records of all those who fought for democracy.

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Nigerian student emerges best in Africa at World Science contest

Posted By Pachorace Ekpo

All African countries  stood still for  Oluwaseun Alamu when he emerged best science student in Africa during UNICEF World Science Day 2012 competition.
Seun, 16 who represented Rainbow College, Ogun State, came first in Africa and was awarded a trophy and certificate for excellence. With this feat, he has made a bold statement that Nigeria and Africa are no longer the dark country and continent but that if given the right opportunity, we can be the best.
In the UNICEF World Science contest, Rainbow College succeeded in writing Nigeria’s name in the world book of records having produced the Third Best Science School in the world, Best Science School in Africa, Best Science Student in Africa and 38 ruby awards/certificates.
By this achievement, high priority is now placed on African education as the breakthrough has enabled Africa take its pride of place in the world. More importantly, the world is now forced to recognise Africa in the rating of world schools.
The online competition which took place within 24 hours on March 8, 2012, requires a knowledge of facts, quick thinking and Information Communication Technology (ICT) readiness. It covers three key curricular areas which include: Mathematics, Science and spelling in English Language.

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CBN may convene emergency meeting to resolve monetary policy crisis

Piqued by the consistent failure of its policies to hit the right cord over the past few months, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) may soon convene an emergency meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) to review some of its policy directions in the days ahead.

The said emergency meeting is expected to come ahead of its scheduled meeting in July when a major decision on the benchmark rate would be announced. A senior market analyst, who gave indications of a possible reversal of the various policy rates, told Daily Sun in Lagos that the optimism about this was underpinned by the MPC’s emphasis on the need for domestic growth as a key consideration amongst other indicators. 

This is coming after the apex bank stated last week that it was frustrated by the failure of its monetary policies to work in sync with policy objectives in the current dispensation as it retained the Monetary Policy Rate at 12 per cent.

Finance and investment experts, however, expressed worries that the unhealthy policy regime may have triggered a chain reaction that cut total subscription at the auction to N307.30 billion, as against N513.44 billion at the auction held a fortnight ago.

This reduced level of subscription may not be unconnected with the observed decline in interest of offshore investors as they try to sell down their domestic debt holdings and withdraw the funds thereby putting more pressure on the local currency against the US dollar

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s treasury bills market witnessed a primary auction at which N30.65 billion worth of 91-day bills was sold at the rate of 13.50 per cent against 13.19 per cent at the previous auction, whilst N45 and N50.68 billion worth of 182-day and 364-day bills was sold at the rate of 14.14 per cent and 14.30 per cent against 13.87 per cent and 13.94 per cent during the last auction.

Market watchers argued that the increased liquidity within the system led to the slight decline in the bond yields and informed further liquidity tightening by the CBN as N500 billion OMO bills were offered at the three OMO auctions whilst N7.70 billion was sold, at discount rates ranging between 13.24 per cent and 13.40 per cent with maturities between 41 and 57 days.

However, we observe the low level of allotment on the offered OMO bills as a result of high rates submitted by investors. It is believed that the outcome of the OMO sales suggests that operators appear to be resolute in taking maximum advantage of the monetary policy.

This week for instance analysts expect the CBN to sustain the liquidity tightening given the level of the high system liquidity resulting from activities of the previous week.

Although major highlights of the week include the inflow of over N1.1 trillion (US$7.1 billion) into the system as a result of disbursement of budgetary allocations for April 2012 and the maturing of treasury bills and FGN bonds, the MPC’s decision to hold MPR at 12.00 per cent, and the inflow from the matured securities, led to a consistent increase in bond prices across all maturities as a result of demand pressure.

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ADMISSION INTO PROGRAMMES IN UNIVERSITY OF UYO

Posted By Pachorace Ekpo

Gaining admission to study into the University is purely on merit. University of Uyo as a centre of excellence admits candidates with the requisite qualifications for their programmes of choice.
Admission through UTME (Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination)

1. Minimum of Credit passes in Five (5) subjects including English Language at the SSCE, GCE O’Level and any other equivalent examinations.
2. UTME score of at least 180 and above (Subject to change).
3. Post-UTME screening score of not less than 180 (Subject to Change).
4. In addition to the above, candidates must make University of  Uyo 1st or 2nd choice to qualify to write the Post-UTME Screening Test.
5. Candidates who score less than 180 at the Post-UTME screening test are not eligible for admission into any programme in UNIUYO irrespective of any higher scores obtained at the UTME.
6. For final selection into programmes, the candidate’s average scores from the UTME and Post-UTME screening Tests are used.

Though the average score of 180 is the barest minimum for admission, the cut-off point changes form programme to programme based on the overall performance of the candidates in the programme.
Admission through Direct Entry

1. Minimum of credit passes in five (5) subjects including English Language at SSCE, GCE O’Level or equivalent qualification.
2. Either an HSC, OND or NCE in the relevant programme to be undertaken in UNIUYO.
3. An acceptable score is prescribed for admission at the Direct Entry Screening Exercise.
4. Final selection is a combination of candidate’s certificates and the direct entry screening result.

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