Govt Beefs Up Security As Buhari Arrives In Kano

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January 30, 2023

Security has been beefed up in parts of Kano metropolis in readiness for President Muhammadu Buhari’s visit to the state to commission eight development projects.

According to reports as early as 7 a.m., security personnel – the Police, the Civil Defence Corps, the FRSC and the state’s Road Traffic Agency (KAROTA), were drafted ahead of the visit.

The roads manned by the security operatives included Sabo Bakin Zuwo, formerly known as State Road, Emir’s Palace, Ahmadu Bello Way and Audu Bako Way.

A statement on Sunday by the state Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Malam Muhammad Garba, said arrangements had been concluded to receive the President.

Garba said Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje would receive the President and his entourage.

While in Kano, Buhari would commission the 10 megawatts Federal Government’s Kano Grid Solar Power, and the multi-billion Naira Dala Inland Dry Port in Zawachiki, Kumbotso Local Government area.

He also said Buhari would ccommission the Kano State Data Centre at Audu Bako Secretariat, Tier Data Centre and office complex at Galaxy Backbone Limited on Ahmadu Bello Way.

The others are Cancer Treatment Centre at Muhammadu Buhari Specialist Hospital, Giginyu; Muhammadu Buhari Road Rotary Interchange at NNPC Station, on Maiduguri Road; Aliko Dangote Ultra-Modern Skill Acquisition Centre, Zaria Road and Federal Government Housing Units at Gandun Sarki, Darmanawa.

Olu Of Warri Abolishes ‘Omajaja’ Among Itsekiris

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Koko Lawrence

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January 30, 2023

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The Ogiame Atuwatse III, the Olu of Warri, has abolished the Omajaja term from Itsekiris’s vocabulary owing what he described as it’s negative connotation over time.

He made the declaration in a Royal Proclamation in a statement he personally endorsed as the Kingdom rolled out drums to celebrate its annual Praise day.

He noted the palace would no longer make reference to the term, saying all Ìtsekírìs are now to be referred to as Omiwere, and that every Itsekiris’s individual is freeborn.

Ogiame added that the classification does not alter the law and manner of succession to the throne.

He said, “All Ìtsekírìs are now to be referred to as Omiwere. The official palace approved symbol or logo for Omiwere will be the awerewere leaf. Those that wish to add something unique to represent them, are free to do so. The logo shall be worn with pride by all Omiwere. “Today, we move to make further clarifications to our existing society. These clarifications are not to make one feel inferior or superior to the other, but simply to establish identity and general order in our society.

“Ìtsekírìs are Omajaja, this is not to say we should remove slave from freeborn, because slaves no longer exist in our society. Both the Prince and Princesses, and the children of the Chiefs are Ìtsekírì children. Before now, they were all referred to as Omajaja. The term Omajaja, has come to take on a negative connotation overtime in our society. It is important to note that from today henceforth, I use my authority to abolish the word Omajaja from our vocabulary.”

Meanwhile, hundreds of Itsekiri sons and daughters on Saturday gathered at the Aghofen, Olu Palace church, Warri to give thanks to the Almighty God.

The soul lifting event called “Annual Praise Day” was convened by the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III.

The annual Praise and Thanksgiving day is a yearly event held by the Iwere Nation to give thanks to God for sustaining the Warri kingdom.

Different gospel artistes and praise group gave ministration at the well-attended event.

Scam Alert: JAMB Issues Warning To The Public

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Rhoda Onuzulike

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January 29, 2023

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The Registrar, Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has cautioned members of the public against a social media account that was created in the name of the board.

The Board said it does not have a social media account.

The Registrar made this known in a statement by the board’s Head of Pubic Affairs and Protocol, Dr Fabian Benjamin, which was made available to journalists in Abuja.

”The attention of the Board has been drawn to a LinkedIn account purported to be the account of the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board(JAMB), Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, and sending friend requests to members of the public.

” This is a ploy initiated with the sole aim of defrauding gullible members of the public.

”The Board wishes to state that Prof. Is-haq Oloyede does not own or operate any social media account and neither has he asked anybody to open or manage one on his behalf.

”LinkedIn is a social networking site designed specifically for the business community. As such, it should be noted that the goal of the site is to enable registered users to connect with people they know and trust professionally. Professor Oloyede does not belong to this class of individuals nor intend to join.”

Dr Benjamin said the disclaimer became necessary in view of some unscrupulous elements, who have purportedly opened a LinkedIn account on his behalf to hoodwink unsuspecting members of the public.

He said their claims included erudite professors helping to network business enterprises, managing careers, providing jobs, running a research firm or connecting people with business contacts of firms or industry through the account.

He added that the board urges the general public to be wary of these criminal elements so as not to fall victims to the scammers.

Old Naira Notes Extension: Reps Reject CBN’s 10-day Deadline

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Rhoda Onuzulike

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January 29, 2023

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The House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee on new naira re-design and naira swap policy has rejected the 10-day extension granted by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, for the exchange of old notes.

The CBN had fixed January 31 as the deadline for the exchange of the old naira notes – N200, N500 and N1,000.

The CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, on Sunday, said President Muhammadu Buhari gave permission for the deadline to be extended to February 10.

In its swift reaction, the Ad Hoc Committee, chaired by the leader of the House, Alhassan Ado Doguwa, rejected the extension, insisting that the CBN must comply with sections 20 sub 3, 4, and 5 of the CBN act.

Recall the House, during its sitting on Tuesday, following the outcry by Nigerians, constituted the ad hoc committee to look into the issue.

Doguwa said that, ” The 10-day extension for the exchange of the old naira notes is not the solution.

“We as a legislative committee with a constitutional mandate of the House, would only accept clear compliance with section 20 sub 3, 4, and 5 of the CBN act and nothing more.

“Nigeria as a developing economy and a nascent democracy must respect the principle of the rule of law.

“And the House would go ahead to sign arrest warrant to compel the CBN Governor to appear before the ad hoc committee.”

He said under his chairmanship, the committee would continue its work until it gets the demands of Nigerians addressed in accordance with the laws of the land.

Describing the extension as a mere political gimmick to further deceive Nigerians and worsen their economic and social livelihood, Doguwa said the CBN governor must appear before or stand the risk of being arrested on the strength of legislative writs signed by the Speaker on Monday.

He also said the policy is capable of frustrating the forthcoming general elections.

“Security agencies and their operations, especially at the state level, are generally funded through cash advances and direct table payments of allowances to operatives during elections,” he said.

PDP Candidates Jandor Promise To Reduce out-of-school Children In Lagos

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Rhoda Onuzulike

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January 29, 2023

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The governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP in Lagos state, Abdul-Azeez Adediran said he will partner with 5000 registered private schools, as well as churches and mosques, in order to reduce the rate of out-of-school children in the state.

Jandor, as popularly known, made this promise while speaking on his plans at ThePlatform debate organised for governorship candidates in the state on Sunday.

He said, “I will partner with the 5000 registered private schools in the state, churches, and mosques to ensure that the number of out-of-school children is reduced.

Other governorship candidates, who participated in the debate include Olufunso Doherty of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the Labour Party (LP).

Yabatech: Students, Lecturers, Awaits Appointment of New Rector

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Rhoda Onuzulike

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January 29, 2023

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As the tenure of Engineer Obafemi Omokungbe as the Rector of the Yaba College of Technology, Yabatech, Lagos came to an end on Sunday, students, workers and lecturers at the College are waiting anxiously for the appointment of a new helmsman for the Institution.

The Council/Selection Committee that interviewed aspirants for the position had recommended three names from which the federal government is expected to choose a substantive rector, but that has not been done because of the complaints by some of the aspirants alleging some unwholesome practices in the selection process.

Even when the Governing Council met few days ago, the matter was still not resolved.

With the development, it is expected that by Monday, an acting rector will be appointed for the College.

Speaking on the development, the Public Relations Officer of the College, Ndubueze Ejiofor, told Vanguard at the weekend that Omokungbe still had until the midnight of Sunday to stay in office as rector and that anything could still happen before then.

However, as at Sunday, the government had not come out with who is the next rector of the institution.

Omokungbe became the first alumnus of the 75-year-old College to become its rector when he was appointed five years ago.

UK Govt Lists Priority Subjects for Immigrating Teachers

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Rhoda Onuzulike

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January 29, 2023

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Nigeria and United Kingdom flag together realtions textile cloth fabric texture

The Department for Education, United Kingdom has highlighted the priority subjects for Nigerian and other nationals seeking to come to the country through the Teaching Regulation Agency from February 2023.

In June 2022, the DfE announced that they would be changing the way they award qualified teacher status to teachers from overseas.

According to the report, some subjects which are much needed in the UK will be prioritised.

DfE said that under retained EU and domestic legislation, teachers from some countries can easily apply for QTS, but others cannot, even if they have equivalent skills and experience.

It added that the new legislation will make this process consistent and fair, adding, “It will also support the movement of well-qualified teachers to the English workforce.”

Announcing a new development on the visa status and how to appy, the Government of UK on its website, DfE said, “A new professional recognition service, called ‘apply for qualified teacher status in England’, will set consistent standards so the qualifications and experience of overseas teachers can be fairly assessed.

“It will eventually be open to qualified teachers from all countries outside the UK.

“From February 1, 2023, applicants with a teaching qualification from the following countries and regions (Australia, Canada, the EEA, Gibraltar, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Switzerland, Ukraine and the USA) will be able to use the new service to check if they meet the requirements for Qualify Teacher Status and apply.”

It further explained that applicants with a subject specialism in languages, mathematics or science and a teaching qualification to teach 11 to 16-year-olds from Ghana, Nigeria, Singapore, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Jamaica and India will be able to use the service to check if they meet the requirements for QTS and also apply.”

Speaking on the priority subjects, DfE noted that a teaching qualification that meets the standard of a level 6 qualification qualifying you to teach children aged 11 to 16, and a bachelor’s degree made up of at least 50 per cent mathematics, science or a language (excluding English) taught in English state schools.”

DfE listed the priority subjects as French, German, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Mandarin, Russian and Spanish, excluding English Language.

It, however, added that there will be an update on other subject specialism by May.

Detecting Wildfires: Colorado Lawmakers To Use Artificial Intelligence

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Angel Gimalo

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January 29, 2023

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A year after the most destructive wildfire in the state’s history scorched nearly 1,100 homes, Colorado lawmakers are considering joining other Western states by adopting artificial intelligence in the hopes of detecting blazes before they burn out of control.

A proposal that legislators will discuss in a hearing Thursday would create a $2 million pilot program to mount cameras on mountaintops in high-risk locations.

An artificial intelligence program developed by a private company would analyze the images and sounds from cameras within 10-mile (about 16-kilometre) radiuses with the aim of detecting something that could signal the start of a blaze.

It is part of an ongoing effort by firefighters to use new technology to become smarter about how they prepare and better position their resources.

Fire lookout towers once staffed by humans have largely been replaced by cameras in remote areas, many of them in high-definition and armed with artificial intelligence to discern a smoke plume from the morning fog.

There are hundreds of such cameras scattered across California, Nevada and Oregon, and even casual viewers can remotely watch wildfires in real-time.

Historic drought and recent heat waves tied to climate change have made wildfires harder to fight in the American West and scientists say warming weather will continue to make fires more frequent and destructive.

Record-breaking storms that drenched California with more than 11 inches of rain in recent weeks and big snow dumps in other states have improved conditions in the short term, but the drought persists across most of Nevada, California and Utah, and large areas of other Western states, according to a Tuesday report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The goal of the Colorado program would be for cameras and an AI algorithm to detect a plume of smoke and alert first responders who can stomp out the blaze before it grows, said Don Coram, a former Republican Colorado state senator who first backed the idea and encouraged this year’s sponsor, Rep. Cleave Simpson, a Republican and rancher.

“Once these fires get into cresting in the tree tops, it’s going to take a lot of resources, a lot of manpower, and a lot of good luck to knock them down,” Coram said.

AI has gained notoriety for breaking into a number of fields — from creating propaganda and disinformation to writing essays or cover letters about whatever the user requests.

Herat Residents In Afghanistan Urged To Preserve Historic Sites

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Angel Gimalo

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January 29, 2023

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Some residents of western Herat province say most of historic places had been damaged and destroyed during past conflicts asking the government to pay attention to its rehabilitation and protection.

Saadullah, the resident of Chaharmahal areas of Shindand district, told Pajhwok Afghan News a historic place named Arg Chaharmahal was situated in their area but destroyed in the past war.

He asked that government to rehabilitate the historic Chaharmahal.

“This fort is one of Herat’s historical monuments, which would attract many tourists if it were restored. But the lack of attention from the government and public caused this historical monument to be destroyed,” he said.

Syed Masoum Ahmadi, another resident of Gunabad area in Oba district, believed historic sited with 300 years history situated in their area.

He added currently small signs from it ruins existed and the remaining completely destroyed.

Ahmadi added the historic site was called Emarat which had been mentioned in the books of history as well.

In Pashton Zarghon district several historic sites are situated such as Khezro Jan and Chakanda Jan where people from Herat City and other areas go and visit it.

Without directly referring to the status of historical sites at the district level, he said that there was currently no reservoir that was in danger of collapsing, and if there was a report in this regard, this department will get to it immediately Herat has 800 historic sites with most of them situated in the provinces.

Aukland Flooding: Emirates’ New Zealand-bound Superjumbo Turns Back To Dubai

By

Angel Gimalo

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January 29, 2023

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Travellers flying with Emirates to Auckland on Friday had a long trip to nowhere when the aircraft they were travelling on turned back to Dubai after seven hours in the air.

Flight number EK448 from Dubai to Auckland departed the UAE at around 10.30am on Friday, setting off on the airline’s longest commercial route — a 14,200km journey to New Zealand’s largest city.

With a total flying time of more than 16 hours, passengers were nearly halfway through the journey, flying near Malaysia, when the jet U-turned, according to data from flight tracking website FlightRadar24.

The aircraft was unable to continue to its destination as Auckland Airport announced it was closing because of major flooding.

Passengers landed back in Dubai again after more than 13 hours in the air, according to data aviation analytics company Cirium.

The rescheduled flight departed Dubai for the second time on Sunday, operating as flight number EK8448. It departed Dubai just after 11am and is expected to arrive in New Zealand at 11.20am on Monday.

Other Emirates flights have been affected by New Zealand’s severe weather. Emirates flight EK448 was delayed for more than five hours on Saturday.

Flight EK448, which was due to depart Dubai for Auckland on Sunday, was cancelled and passengers set to connect on the service from other destinations were not accepted for travel at their original points of departure.

Emirates has advised customers affected due to cancellations to contact their travel agents or Emirates call centres for rebooking options. The airline said flights from Auckland to Dubai on Sunday and Monday were unaffected and “planned to operate according to schedule”.

Some Emirates passengers have taken to social media to express concern over the airline’s rebooking process.

Thousands of travellers were stranded at Auckland Airport on Saturday night after severe weather and flooding.

More than 1,000 passengers are waiting inside the international terminal of the airport and authorities and volunteers handed out more than 1,000 meals, 500 blankets and hundreds of bottles of water and fruit to travellers overnight.

Travellers were advised that international flight schedules will take some time to normalise and asked passengers to be patient.