Category: Featured

President Muhammadu Buhari, Friday, in Abuja received the attestation and confirmation of his 1961 West African School Certificate (WASC) Examination result from the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).

The documents were presented to the President at State House during a courtesy visit by a delegation of WAEC led by its Registrar, Dr Iyi Uwadiae, accompanied by Olutise Adenipekun, Head, National Office, WAEC, Abiodun Aduloju, Head Public Affairs, WAEC and Olufemi Oke, Zonal Coordinator, WAEC Abuja.

The President thanked the examination board, established in 1952, and which conducts the WASC examination for University and JAMB entry examination in West African countries, for upholding its integrity over the years, adding that he did not expect anything less from the institution.

The President said it would have been impossible for him to have attended the Defence Services Staff College, India (1973) and thereafter, United States Army War College, as a Nigerian military officer, if he didn’t sit for the WASC examinations in 1961.

The President recounted that during his secondary school days, it was very difficult to commit examination fraud, even though it was not impossible.

”My colleagues and I who spent close to nine years in boarding school both in primary and secondary, including Gen. Musa Yar’Adua, when we intended to join the military we had to take a military examination.

”We were examined in three subjects, English, Mathematics and General Knowledge because English is the language for general instruction throughout the country because of our colonial heritage.

”Mathematics in the military was necessary, coupled with Geography. We were trained how to be dropped off in the bush, given only a pair of compass and since we were not astronomers, you have to learn to find your way, calculate, using the Pythagoras Theorem and others to work out your position,” he said.

In his remarks, the Registrar said it was possible for candidates to lose their examination certificates through fire and any other unfortunate incident.

”We don’t issue certificates twice but we can issue attestations or duplicate copy of the certificate.

”We also have what we refer to as confirmation; usually, universities were using this in those days when Information Technology was not in vogue.

”Whoever sat for WASC exams in whatever year, we have the records in our database, and Mr President, we have the records of the examinations you sat in 1961.

”We have the attestation of results which we issue to candidates who lost their certificates and confirmation of results,’’ Dr Uwadiae said.

Femi Adesina

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

November 2, 2018

Taraba state governor Darius Ishaku in a press statement has expressed dismayed over the false allegations that his administration is training an illegal security outfit in the state.

A statement by the senior special assistant to the Governor on media an publicity Mr. Bala Dan Abu, on Friday said the allegation made by one Lt Col sani adamu is false and a gross misrepresentation of fact done deliberetely to please his pay masters and to misinform the general public.

Ishaku said the Taraba state government is not involved in any illegal training of security personnel anywhere in the state.

The statement further said the training being conducted for the state govt by a licensed security agency GH security services Ltd is for Marshals as approved by the Taraba state House of Assembly, under the states Open Grazing Restriction and Establishment of Ranches Law.

The Taraba Governor, said the legislation which was duly made by the state house of assembly provides for marshals that will assist in the enforcement of the law. the current training in serti, Gashaka LGA of Taraba state is the second of such exercise in the state and the training does not involved the use of weapons.

The statement also said before the beginning of the training all the formations of the security agencies in the state are all informed in writing. The letters were duly acknowledged as received.

“The duly signed acknowledged copies of these letters returned by these agencies are in our possession”.

The Governor also said Taraba state government has done nothing illegal and had no reason to hide the training exercise from the agencies, hence the notice given in advance to security agencies in the state.

The statement caution the attempt by security agencies in the state to politicize genuine and patriotic efforts of the government to solve some of the problems affecting the unity and peaceful coexistence among the people.

The Taraba state government wish to reiterate it commitment towards ensuring peace and good neighborliness among it people and emphasize that no amount of blackmail would distract it from such patriotic path now or in future.

Report from the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has revealed that two global giant banks, HSBC and UBS have closed their respective offices and shut down operations in Nigeria.

The reason for the decision was not given but the apex bank had revealed that foreign direct investment in Nigeria fell to N379.84 billion in the first six months of 2018, compared to N532.63 billion recorded in 2017. ‘Technology, major reason for Nigeria’s global relevance’.

Recall that UBS opened its doors in Nigeria in mid-2014 to connect prospective clients with its offshore centers in Switzerland, the UK, Dubai and Singapore, where dedicated client advisers offer personalised service and full access to the bank’s vast global resources.

CBN according to PremiumTimes equally revealed that the rising foreign debt and uncertainty surrounding the 2019 presidential election was a drawback.

SME financing: DBN joins SME Finance Forum Reuters reports that investor confidence in Africa’s biggest economy has been shaken since the CBN got entangled in an alleged illegal repatriation of funds battle with telecom giant, MTN Nigeria.

Recall also that HSBC had predicted doom for the Nigerian economy should President Muhammadu Buhari wins in the forthcoming 2019 general election.

However, following its prediction, presidency through the minister of Information and culture, Alhaji Lai Muhammed, replied the global giant bank as follows: “We have all read that the Intelligence Unit of the Economist said the PDP will defeat the ruling APC in 2019.

Top banks struggle to grow earnings, profitability “We have also read that the international financial institution, HSBC, said Nigeria’s economic development will be stunted if President Buhari gets a second term.

“Let me state clearly that these reports are based on fake premises and, therefore, qualify as fake news.

“It is a psychological warfare by those who have been badly hit by our policies”.

The minister explained: “Our fight against corruption has meant that many financial institutions, especially banks, that fed fat on the proceeds of corruption are no longer able to do that.

“Also, international publications that used to feed fat on questionable supplements paid for by the Federal Government have seen a drastic reduction in such patronage, as the Administration cuts down on frivolous spending that was the order of the day in the past.

“Therefore, it is natural that these institutions and publications would not wish to see another term for this Administration.

“The truth, however, is that only the good people of Nigeria will determine who presides over the affairs of the country, not any bank or media establishment, irrespective of their influence or self importance”

We won’t rest until HSBC returns our money – EFCC In view of the above reply, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), in a statement disclosed via the agencies official facebook handle, opined that it would not stop until every penny belonging to the country is returned.

The Senate joint Committee investigating the NNPC pipeline explosion that rocked two villages in Osisioma Ngwa Local Government Area of Abia State has described the incident as avoidable and vowed to ensure that the culprits were brought to justice.

The joint committee leader, Senator Kabiru Marafa led the members comprised of Petroleum Downstream and Police Affairs to the scene of the incident at Umuimo and Umuaduru and expressed deep regrets that such an incident which led to heavy loss of lives and wanton destruction of properties had happened in such peaceful communities.

He insisted that the committees of Downstream and Police will get to the root of the matter, stressing that the committees were also looking into heavy losses that had affected the economy of the nation.

He commiserated with the traditional rulers of the affected communities, praying for the peaceful repose of the unfortunate citizens that lost their lives to the pipeline explosion.

The committee also interacted with the contractor handling the repair of pipelines from Port Harcourt refinery who disclosed that the contract with corporation was to maintain one of the pipelines and that he had been up and doing.

However he disclosed further that on several occasions he had been surcharged by his employers for leakages that were totally not his fault, adding that the original contract was from Port Harcourt to Abia Depot and that later Abia Depot to Enugu was included.

The contractor explained that the pipeline that exploded was not the one that had a contract on it, explaining further that the distance between the maintained pipeline and the other was less than four feet and that he was instrumental to putting out the inferno.

Also at the NNPC Depot at Osisioma, the committee was received by the former Depot Manager who told the committee that the exploded pipeline had been abandoned for close to 16 years, but that there was a quantity of product left inside the pipeline.

Asked by the committee why the pipeline was not flushed since it had been out of use for a good number of years, he insisted it was standard practice, but his reply drew the ire of the team, who insisted that petroleum product was left there to deliberately snuff life out of innocent citizens.

At this juncture Sen. Marafa asked the NNPC to put all their defense in a single document and ensure that the report gets to them before Tuesday, the same instruction was given to the contractor as well as those that have any information that would enable the committee arrive at a peaceful conclusion.

The committee later paid a courtesy call on Governor Okezie Ikpeazu who thanked them for the visit and urged them to do all within their powers to ensure that justice was not only done but seen to have been done, lamenting that the death of his people was very painful.

Sen. Theodore Orji for Abia Central Senatorial District who brought the incident to the floor of the senate expressed joy that the committee had come and seen and heard firsthand the immediate and remote cause of the incident and assured that the communities would remain peaceful.

It would be recalled that a pipeline explosion engulfed the two communities of Umuimo and Umuaduru in Osisioma Ngwa Local Government Area and claimed the lives of not less than 150 individuals, but the number has gradually increased following the death of some of those receiving treatment at the Abia State University Teaching Hospital and other care centers where they were rushed to.

Members of the downstream committee that made the visit include Sen. Samuel Anyanwu, Sen. Ibrahim Danbaba, Sen. Mao Ohuabunwa, Sen. Yahaya Abdullahi, Sen. Albert Akpan and Sen. Shuaibu Laa, while those of the Police were Sen. Theodore Orji and Sen. Obinna Ogba.

The senate had through a resolution given the committee two weeks to report back their findings.

Infrastructure for next-generation 5G phone networks is only in the very early stages of being established, but that isn’t going to stop phone makers building 5G capabilities into their handsets (and making a lot of noise about it) as soon as they possibly can. According to a new report, Apple is going to join the party in 2020.

Insider sources speaking to Fast Company say the Intel 8161 5G modem chip will be the one to supply this 5G connectivity, though apparently Intel is battling with heat issues as it looks to get the chip prototyped and developed for commercial use.

It would appear Apple is ready to let other companies get to market first with their 5G phones before following up with its own implementation the year after next. The likes of Oppo, LG, Samsung, Huawei, Lenovo, and Sony have all confirmed or at least intimated that 5G handsets are on the slate for some point during 2019.

The need for speed

Depending on where in the world you live, you might only have just got used to seeing the 4G or LTE symbol on your phone on a regular basis. The roll out of 5G in terms of actual networks is likely to lag behind the arrival of 5G-capable phones – as with 4G, it’ll first appear in pockets, likely in major cities, before extending everywhere else.

And the improvements aren’t just in raw speed, they’re in bandwidth too. That means more devices getting connected (think self-driving cars) and better reception when you’re in a crowded area (like watching a game at your local sports stadium).

Download speeds have the potential to be up to a thousand times faster than 4G – 10Gbps rather than 100Mbps – though that’s a theoretical maximum (so the reality will be somewhat different). By the time Apple’s rumored 5G iPhone arrives in 2020, you might even be able to latch on to a 5G network somewhere close to where you live. (David Nield)

THE OnePlus 6T officially goes on sale next week but this budget flagship could end up costing you more than you think.

After months of leaks, rumours and excitement the OnePlus 6T is finally going on sale next week.

This stunning new phone officially arrives in stores from November 6 with it offering flagship specs at a fraction of the cost of its Android rivals.

For just £499 the OnePlus 6T comes packed with a fast Snapdragon 845 processor, huge 6.41-inch screen, a dual rear camera and a large battery that can fast charge in 30 minutes.

There’s also the inclusion of an embedded fingerprint scanner which is now hidden under the screen.

There’s no question that the OnePlus 6T should get your full attention but make sure you are aware of the true cost of owning one.

Until recently, the only easy way to get hold of a OnePlus phone was to buy it SIM-free from the Chinese firm itself.

But with its popularity booming the latest 6T is now being sold via mobile retailers and UK networks.

This clearly makes it very easy to upgrade to a 6T and also offers the ability to spread the cost over a two-year contract.

However, before you sign up to this phone on a pay monthly plan it’s worth checking how much the deal will cost over two years.

Buying the phone SIM-free costs £499 and adding a SIM-only plan with 4GB of data will cost around £11 per month.

Purchasing the 6T this way will cost a total of £763 over two years which is very good value.

But opting for a similar amount of data on a pay monthly deal could end up costing considerably more.

For example, Vodafone is offering the OnePlus 6T with 4GB of data for £36 per month plus a £129 upfront fee.

The total over two years for this bundle is £993.

EE has the 6T on sale for £43 per month with a £50 upfront fee.

Again this includes 4GB of data with the total over two years totalling £1082 – that’s over £300 more than buying the phone from OnePlus and adding a SIM.

Carphone Warehouse has the 6T for £23 per month but there’s a £299.99 upfront fee which brings the total over the term of the deal to £851.

There are plenty of 6T deals on the market right now but make sure you add everything up before committing to what could end up being a very expensive contract. (David Snelling)

Controversy over the secondary school result of President Muhammadu Buhari was finally laid to rest on Friday as he was presented with an attestation certificate and confirmation of school certificate result by officials of the West African Examination Council.

The Registrar of the Council, Dr Iyi Uwadiae, made the presentation at the president’s mini conference hall at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Uwadiae, who was accompanied by senior staff of the council, performed the ceremony during a courtesy visit to the State House.

The presentation was witnessed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu and other presidential aides.

President Buhari’s certificate became a major political campaign issue in 2014 when the then ruling party, PDP, insisted he lack the basic educational requirement to contest the presidential election.

Buhari had told INEC that his certificate is in possession of the Nigerian Army.

The controversy was ignited again few weeks ago following the publication of his credentials for the February 2019 election.

According to INEC, the president said his school certificate result and other academic credentials were with the Nigerian military, which he served from 1961-1985, retiring as head of state and commander-in-chief of the armed forces.

The main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, expectedly on October 26 challenged Buhari to show proof of his integrity by presenting his academic credentials “if he has any,” to the INEC.

Apart from the PDP, a legal practitioner even went to court to challenge Buhari to produce the certificate, prompting several Senior Advocates of Nigerian, SANs, to appear in court in his defense.

However, many ‘Nigerians are of the view that the controversy was needless, considering that the president since 1961 after he finished his secondary education, had attained further education, leading to a Masters Degree in Strategic Studies at US War College.

Buhari was born on 17 December 1942 in Daura and began attending Central Primary School in the town at the age of six.

He spent three years in the primary school, from where he went to to Katsina Middle School. Following the abolition of the middle school system, he became one of the first students to be admitted to Kankia Primary School in 1954; he graduated in 1955.

In 1956 he proceeded to the Katsina Provincial Secondary School. There he became a School Monitor in Class II; a school prefect; a House Captain; and ultimately Head Boy of the school.

He was also at different times, a long distance runner (800 metres); a debater for his house; a player in the school’s hockey team, and the head of his unit in the school’s military cadet. He graduated in 1961 and joined the army immediately. In those days, the military recruited from the secondary schools and he and his peers were so attracted to the army.

In the army, the president also had further education. He attended the Nigerian Military Training College (NMTC) in 1962.

From 1962 to 1963, Buhari underwent officer cadet training at Mons Officer Cadet School in Aldershot in England.

In January 1963, at age 20, he was commissioned a second lieutenant and appointed Platoon Commander of the Second Infantry Battalion in Abeokuta, Nigeria.

From November 1963 to January 1964, Buhari attended the Platoon Commanders’ Course at the Nigerian Military Training College, Kaduna.

In 1964, he attended the Mechanical Transport Officer’s Course at the Army Mechanical Transport School in Borden, United Kingdom.

He also attended the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, India, in 1973 and capped it with a masters degree at the US Army War College.

Reacting to the presentation of the WAEC to President Buhari, opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, dismissed the attestation certificate issued to President Buhari by the West Africa Examinations Council, WAEC.

PDP National publicity secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said it is tragic that the president went low to prove he has secondary school result.

“It is a tragicomedy. We never expected Mr. President to dramatically come this low because you cannot have a certificate and be calling it an attestation.

“What are they attesting to? We stand by our position that Mr. President has no school certificate.

“It’s simply a political certificate. We have said that the Buhari presidency and his handlers are always fretting at the mention of a certificate.

“So, they want to mislead Nigerians to say that Mr. President has a school certificate.

“If Mr. President has a certificate, why did he not use it in 2015 election? Why is the certificate suddenly emerging few months to the election?

“And have you checked the photograph that was attached to the certificate? In 1961, was it the requirement of WAEC to have a passport attached to school certificate?

“Even in our own generation, was a condition in WAEC that you must submit your passport to be attached to your certificate?

“They should come off it. It’s too low.

“You remember the procured Martin Luther Award presented to our president which later was discovered to be fake? This is a similar award, a procured. We are waiting for the story of its declaration as another procured document.”