Nigeria’s V.P Speaks On ASUU Strike, Calls For Immediate Action

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August 31, 2022

Nigeria’s Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo has called for urgent action on the lingering strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU.

Professor Osinbajo spoke on Tuesday when he received members of the Progressives Governors’ Forum in his office at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The Governors visited to felicitate Professor Osinbajo as he recovers from the surgical procedure he had gone, last month.

He expressed his appreciation for the Governors visit and their good wishes.

During the brief interaction that followed at the meeting, important national issues were also raised especially the economy and the ASUU strike.

The Vice President and the Governors agreed to engage these and other pressing issues further to bring urgent resolution for the benefit of the Nigerian people.

He said; “We all need to work together on these critical issues. We need to think through things, and we need to do it fast.”

50% Healthcare facilities globally lack basic Hygiene services – Report

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Cleopatra Okohai

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August 31, 2022

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Latest Joint Monitoring Programme report by the World Health Organisation and the United Nations Children Fund says half of healthcare facilities worldwide lack basic hygiene services with water and soap or alcohol-based sanitisers.

Around 3.85 billion people use these facilities, putting them at greater risk of infection, including 688 million people who receive care at facilities with no hygiene services at all, the report showed.

“Hygiene facilities and practices in healthcare settings are non-negotiable. Their improvement is essential to pandemic recovery, prevention, and preparedness,” WHO Director, Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health, Dr Maria Neira, said.

She added, “Hygiene in healthcare facilities cannot be secured without increasing investments in basic measures, which include safe water, clean toilets, and safely managed health care waste.

“I encourage Member States to step up their efforts to implement their 2019 World Health Assembly commitment to strengthen water, sanitation and hygiene services in healthcare facilities, and to monitor these efforts.”

The latest report, ‘Progress on WASH in healthcare facilities 2000–2021: special focus on WASH and infection prevention and control’, has for the first time established this global baseline on hygiene services – which assessed access at points of care as well as toilets – as more countries than ever report on critical elements of WASH services in their hospitals and other health centres.

For hygiene, data are now available for 40 countries, representing 35% of the world’s population, up from 21 countries in 2020 and 14 in 2019.

The newly established global estimate reveals a clearer and more alarming picture of the state of hygiene in health care facilities. Though 68% of healthcare facilities had hygiene facilities at points of care, and 65 percent had handwashing facilities with water and soap at toilets, only 51 percent had both and therefore met the criteria for basic hygiene services. Furthermore, 1 in 11 (9 percent) of health care facilities globally have neither.

“If health care providers don’t have access to a hygiene service, patients don’t have a health care facility,” said Kelly Ann Naylor, UNICEF Director of WASH and Climate, Environment, Energy, and Disaster Risk Reduction. “Hospitals and clinics without safe water and basic hygiene and sanitation services are a potential death trap for pregnant mothers, newborns, and children. Every year, around 670 000 newborns lose their lives to sepsis. This is a travesty – even more so as their deaths are preventable.”

The report notes that contaminated hands and environments play a significant role in pathogen transmission in healthcare facilities and the spread of antimicrobial resistance. Interventions to increase access to handwashing with water and soap and environmental cleaning form the cornerstone of infection prevention and control programmes and are crucial to providing quality care, particularly for safe childbirth.

According to the report, facilities in sub-Saharan Africa are lagging on hygiene services. While three-quarters (73%) of healthcare facilities in the region overall have alcohol-based hand rub or water and soap at points of care, only one-third (37%) have handwashing facilities with water and soap at toilets.

The vast majority (87%) of hospitals have hand hygiene facilities at points of care, compared to 68% of other healthcare facilities.

“In the Least Developed Countries, only 53% of healthcare facilities have access on-premises to a protected water source. To compare, the global figure is 78% with hospitals (88%) doing better than smaller healthcare facilities (77%), and the figure for eastern and south-eastern Asia is 90%. Globally, around 3% of health care facilities in urban areas and 11% in rural areas had no water service.

“Of the countries with available data, 1 in 10 healthcare facilities globally had no sanitation service. The proportion of healthcare facilities with no sanitation services ranged from 3% in Latin America and the Caribbean and in eastern and south-eastern Asia to 22% in sub-Saharan Africa. In the Least Developed Countries, just 1 in 5 (21%) had basic sanitation services in health care facilities.

“The data further reveals that many healthcare facilities lack basic environmental cleaning and safe segregation and disposal of health care waste,” it noted.

U.S. Open Defending Champion, Raducanu Crashes Out In First Round

By

Emenike Agu

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August 31, 2022

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S. Open – Flushing Meadows, New York, United States – August 30, 2022 Britain’s Emma Raducanu acknowledges the crowd after losing her first round match against France’s Alize Cornet

Emma Raducanu, who made a dream run to the U.S. Open title last year, suffered a nightmare 6-3 6-3 first round loss to Frenchwoman Alize Cornet on Tuesday as the clock finally struck midnight on an improbable tennis fairytale.

Raducanu captivated the sporting world when she became the first qualifier to claim a Grand Slam title, winning 10 matches in New York without dropping a set, catapulting her career into the stratosphere and making her one of the most marketable athletes on the planet.

Twelve months ago Raducanu arrived at her opening match an unknown with no expectations or pressure but on Tuesday the 19-year-old sometimes appeared to be carrying the weight of world on her slender shoulders.

Not only was Raducanu defending her one and only title but a massive 2,040 of her 2,756 ranking points and with those gone the world number 11 will drop out of the top 70 and back having to qualify for some events or depend on wildcards.

But the loss, said Raducanu, has also brought freedom and a clean slate that will allow her to reconstruct her game and career without unrealistic expectations.

“Obviously really disappointing, really sad to leave here,” Raducanu told a post-match press conference, her face partially hidden by a baseball cap pulled tight to her eyes. “But also, in a way happy because it’s a clean slate.

“I’m going to drop down the rankings. Climb my way back

up.

“In a way the target will be off my back slightly.”

Raducanu endured a difficult first full year on Tour with injuries and poor form limiting her match wins, with each early exit bringing increased scrutiny.

Still just 19, Raducanu will now be able to grow into her career and if that means playing lower level events then that is what she will do.

“I can just start again,” said Raducanu. “I don’t know what my ranking will be. Probably pretty low down.

“I think it would be nice in a way to kind of just

start over, start fresh.

“I think any player would be happy to win a tournament.

“I think it makes a massive difference no matter what the level is.”

CRAFTY VETERAN

Raducanu got her defence off to a positive start breaking Cornet at the first opportunity but the crafty French veteran, making a record 63rd consecutive Grand Slam appearance, would immediately break back.

The two players would trade breaks a second time before Cornet would break the young Briton a third time to get in front 5-3 and hold serve to secure the 1-0 lead.

It was the first set taken from Raducanu at Flushing Meadows but not the last.

The task in front of Raducanu became a little more challenging after she called for the trainer between sets to deal with blisters on her right hand.

When Cornet broke to open the second the troubles mounted.

But the Briton would answer with a break of her own and a second to go up 3-1.

With the crowd at Louis Armstrong court in Raducanu’s corner, the contest appeared headed for a decisive third set until Cornet shifted gears sweeping the next five games to seal the victory.

The 11th seed becomes the first defending U.S. Open champion to lose in the first round since Germany’s Angelique Kerber in 2017.

“I think I’m just handling my emotions better – that’s it,” said Cornet. “I guess I’m getting old.

“I’m getting more mature. I’m 32 so it’s better late than never I guess.”

Brain Drain: Six Out Of 10 Medical Doctors Plan To Leave Nigeria

By

Olasunbo Okoromi

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August 31, 2022

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The Nigeria Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), has said six out of 10 doctors in the country plan to leave the country for greener pastures.

The NARD President, Dr. Dare Ishaya, disclosed these in an interview that there are only 12,297 resident doctors in both the Federal and State tertiary health institutions in the country.

“As of the last time we issued the questionnaire, we found that out of 10 resident doctors, six of them are planning to leave or have the intention to leave.

“The statistics we had then was in December 2021. So, it’s either they are planning to leave or they have thought of leaving.

“As we speak, I am aware that a lot of my colleagues are working towards leaving the country, and there are a lot of factors responsible for that. The push factor is majorly the economy.

“Of course, you will agree with me that we are having inflation in the country and the rate at which our naira is being devalued is alarming. If you compare our pay with the pay where most of these health workers go, you will discover that what we earn here is not up to one-tenth of what they get practising there.

“As long as these factors exist, our members and other health workers will continue to seek greener pastures except if things are done to reverse them,” he added.

Ishaya stated that currently, there are only 9,297 resident doctors in the FTHI and there are between 2,000 and 3,000 resident doctors in the STHI.

The Nigerian Medical Association said the brain drain being witnessed in the country would worsen if the doctors leave the country.

Personal Savings: a ladder to wealth creation

By

Abidemi

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August 31, 2022

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Personal savings, from time immemorial, have been a ladder to creating wealth.

Irrespective of the testimonies available, how savings should be achieved has continued to be difficult to understand.

To some people, saving is the money left over after subtracting consumer spending from disposable income. (Disposable income is the money available after deducting tax).

Others consider saving as a means of paying yourself first rather than paying others through consumption.

That’s not all, some see savings as a way to prepare for financial emergencies and contingencies.

What is personal savings?

According to the Longman dictionary, personal savings means when a person, rather than a company or organization, saves money to spend or invest later.

Personal savings can also be regarded as money that an individual has put away for non-immediate use.

Importance Of Personal Savings

The importance of your personal savings can never be over-emphasized. It goes beyond personal as it also serves as a source of capital for businesses. Let’s discuss its importance briefly:

Emergencies

It’s almost impossible to predict what will happen tomorrow. And even though financial emergencies are not always about bad occurrences, it’s still important to have some money saved.

There are positive financial emergencies such as relocating due to changes in a job which can even call for a change of wardrobe.

Savings can serve as an emergency fund and can help to avoid taking high-interest loans or selling properties.

Savings provide financial security in times of need.

Special events

An adage says, “the birth of a baby is not an emergency”. You have been waiting for the baby for 9 months.

There are special events and obligations such as marriage, scholarships, buying a car or land, etc. You should put some money aside for these rare occasions.

Saving for your kids should also be considered.

Accumulating wealth

We don’t always talk about savings as a means of accumulating wealth but we rather talk about personal savings in terms of expenses- saving to spend later.

However, there is a thin line between using savings for the earlier mentioned purposes and using it as a means of accumulating wealth.

Before savings can be used for accumulating wealth, you must invest your savings. And to invest your savings, you must improve them.

How Can I Improve My Personal Savings?

Improving your personal savings is not a walk-over discussion as it requires discipline, determination, and commitment.

To help you further, you can adopt any of these generally accepted rules:

50-30-20 rule

This rule was made popular by US senator, Elizabeth Warren in her book titled, “All your worth: The Ultimate Lifetime Money Plan”.

To better understand the rule, 50% of your income should be spent on needs, 30% on wants, and 20% should be saved.

The problem with this rule is the ambiguity in classifying needs and wants. For instance, a data subscription might be a need for someone while for another person, it is a want.

60-40 rule

The 60/40 rule has also been in use for a good number of years. Mostly it is used in investment by investing 60% of your savings in a volatile investment like cryptocurrency while 40% should be invested in fixed investment.

In this context, 60% of your income should be expended while 40% should be saved.

If your income level and consumption are very close, you can adopt the 50/30/20 rule but if your consumption is not high, you can adopt the 60/40 rule or even reverse it by saving 60% and spending 40%.

How Do I Invest?

The next big question is, “what should I invest in and how do I go about it?

Investment is a lifelong benefit and therefore, you should be extra careful when it comes to investment.

Nevertheless, cryptocurrency investment has proven to be a great investment due to its possible returns.

How Can I Invest In What I Do Not Know About?

That’s why Crypto Smart has a savings plan called BitSave.

Bitsave is a savings plan for individuals to profit from crypto trading without going through the difficulty of investing in cryptocurrency.

The analysis will be done by Crypto Smart while you will be advised on the best altcoins to buy.

Bitsave, as a saving protocol built on Algorand, allows users to earn interest by staking their stablecoins and cryptocurrency.

Note that Crypto Smart will not hold your crypto assets.

To get started, sign up here

If you want to start corporate savings; that Is, saving on a larger scale, you can read about asset management.

Are you saving already? You can learn how to diversify your portfolio and the benefits.

About Crypto Smart

Crypto Smart is a B2B Crypto Asset Management company founded in January 2021 by Karla Obakpolor, a blockchain business developer and Algorand ambassador in 2020.

Crypto Smart offers fast and secure services which are based on a well-encrypted system with 24/7 customer support services. Crypto Smart has grown from offering its services to individuals to companies and major enterprises as well as providing crypto education through various crypto courses.

Crypto Smart upscaled to the Algorand blockchain and offers blockchain products which include SmartChange; a cross-chain P2P marketplace, Bitsave Protocol; a SaveFi protocol that combines savings with DeFi.

Reject Posting, Get Sacked- Delta Govt Warns Newly Recruited Teachers

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Rhoda Onuzulike

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August 30, 2022

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The Delta Government has warned the newly employed teachers for the state’s technical colleges not to reject their postings in order not to forfeit the offer.

The Commissioner for Technical Education, Shola Daibo said this on Tuesday while handing out the employment letters to the recently recruited teachers for the three new technical colleges in Effurun Asaba and Obiaruku.

She urged the teachers to be committed and be dedicated to their jobs and avoid engaging in side hustling during official hours.

She said Over 28 000 persons applied for the job out of which about 8 000 shortlisted for written and oral interviews and practicals.

“It was strictly on merit, we did not conduct the exam, and the governor said he wanted to get the best therefore we had two consultants to conduct the employment process.

“That was why the employment was delayed till now. It was really tedious because it took us almost a year to get here. “They did exam, aptitude test, we did oral, and practicals”.

Daibo added that the new employees would be trained by experts, particularly, from the state-owned polytechnic in Ogwashi Uku.
“Graduates from the technical colleges will be self-reliant, thereby reducing unemployment and poverty”, he said

Nigerian Govt. To Reopen Varsities, Despite ASUU Strike

By

Rhoda Onuzulike

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August 30, 2022

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Despite the insistence of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, to continue its lingering strike, there are indications that the Federal Government is set to reopen universities.

According to sources in the Federal Ministry of Education, the academic staff are not the only set of workers in the university system and since non-academic staff are ready to go back to work, the universities should no longer be shut.

“Moreover, there are some lecturers who are also ready to work, such people should not be shut out.

“Only few days ago, a group addressed the press in Abuja, saying they are not part of the ASUU trouble. Their group is also working to be registered too.

“Non-teaching staff have also called off their strike and the university environment is not only for or about academic staff.

“Why should those who are ready to work be denied the opportunity to work? He asked.

This is just as a meeting of pro-chancellors and vice-chancellors of federal universities have been slated for next Tuesday at the National Universities Commission, NUC, Complex, Abuja.

They are to meet with the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu.

The letter inviting them marked NUC/ES/138/VOL. 64/125 was signed by the Deputy Executive Secretary, Administration, Chris Maiyaki, on behalf of the Executive Secretary.

The letter was titled “Industrial actions by university-based unions: Invitation to a special interactive meeting with the Honourable Minister of Education.”

It read in part: “As the pro-chancellors and the chairmen of councils and the vice-chancellors are quite aware, the industrial action by university-based unions has led to the closure of the institutions since February 14, 2022.

“You are also aware that the non-teaching unions have suspended their industrial actions with effect from 24th August, 2022, while a final decision is being awaited from the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU.

“It has become necessary for the Governing Councils and the managements of the universities to be briefed on the decisions and actions taken by the Federal Government so far, to allow for a well-coordinated review of the situation, including building consensus around succeeding actions.”

It was gathered that at the meeting, the government would order the schools to be reopened and allow workers ready to work come back to their duty posts.

Recall that ASUU, on Monday, insisted on continuing its strike after holding a National Executive Council meeting in Abuja.

A group of lecturers, on the platform of the Congress of University Academics, CONUA, led by Niyi Sunmonu, have dissociated themselves from the strike and said they are willing to resume work.

This is as the managements of some state universities are also taking steps to ensure the reopening of the institutions.

Gov. Sanwo-Olu Targets Raising Lagos Education Sector Budget Above 10%

By

Rhoda Onuzulike

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August 30, 2022

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Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has expressed the determination of his administration to prioritize the development of the education sector in the state through increased budget allocation to the sector which stood at 10 per cent presently.

The education ministry had got N133.5 billion in 2020, N146.9 billion in 2021 and N173.5 billion in 2022, out of N1.758 trillion, which are bigger than the entire budgets of some states.

However, the state government earmarked 10 per cent of its year 2022 Budget to the education sector to adequately groom the youths towards making the desired impact and contributing to the progress and future development of the state.

The governor, who was in Abuja for a meeting with President Muhamadu Buhari on the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, spoke on Tuesday, via zoom on the opening day of a two-day 2022, Lagos State Education Summit, held at Eko Hotel and Suites with the theme ‘Creating a Sustainable Fit-for-Purpose Education Model.”

Sanwo-Olu, represented by Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Folasade Jaji, said his administration has completed over 1000 education projects in the last three years, adding that improved education is one of the legacies he wished to leave behind by the time he left office.

He further said the Summit came at the right time when the state has recorded improvement in the West African Examination Council, WAEC, results from 40 per cent to 80 per cent.

“Education is not just a pillar in one of our THEMES agenda, it’s one of the dividends of democracy and one of the cardinal objectives of our administration.

“We see it as one of the tools that can end poverty in our system. “We are not paying lip service to education, we are taking it seriously. Education has continued to receive an increased budget in our administration,” the governor said.

Sanwo-Olu added that his government would commit more resources to ensure all out-of-school children in the state returned back to school.

He stressed the need to collaborate with stakeholders in the education sector to register more schools that would be monitored by the government in order to check how they are impacting the students.

The governor added that his administration is looking at improving the welfare and needs of the teachers, as well as working with private schools to improve the education sector. He further said the Ekoexcel Initiative is one of the major success stories of his administration in the education sector.

“We believe we can do more. At the end of the Summit, we can have a real conversation with the private schools and work with them to ensure we get more out of Out-Of-School children.”

The state Commissioner for Education, Folasade Adefisayo, said Nigeria has a lot to do in improving the education sector, adding the Summit was organised to find solutions to the problems of education in Nigeria.

According to Adefisayo, “Lagos is an important player in education in Nigeria being the sixth largest economy in Africa.

“This summit is about audacity. Some of the outcomes of this Summit will contribute to the process of solving education problems in Nigeria. The focus is not on the problems but now we want to come up with solutions. We want practical ideas that the state can implement. We are ready to listen.

“The state has implemented 210 out of 220 resolutions since the inception of the administration. We have employed over 7000 teachers to replace our fast-aging teachers, Lagos State teachers are the best paid in Nigeria and we have executed 1,400 projects,” she said.

She further revealed the state is making use of technology in teaching as shown in the Ekoexcel Initiative.

ASUU Strike: Federal Govt. To Meet Varsity VCs, Others September 6

By

Rhoda Onuzulike

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August 30, 2022

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The Federal Government through the National Universities Commission has convened a meeting with the vice-chancellors, pro-chancellors and management of Federal universities in line with the ongoing strike action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities.

The meeting is expected to hold on September 6, 2022, at the NUC secretariat in Abuja.

This was convened in a letter written by the Deputy Executive Secretary, Administration, of the NUC, Chris Maiyaki and addressed to all pro-chancellors, chairmen of councils, and vice-chancellors of Federal universities.

“As the Pro-Chancellors and Chairmen of Councils and the Vice-Chancellors are quite aware the industrial action by university-based unions has led to the closure of the institutions since February 2022.

“You are also aware that the non-teaching unions have suspended their industrial actions with effect from August 24, 2022, while a final decision is being awaited from ASUU.

“It has become necessary for the Governing Councils and the managements of the universities to be briefed on the decisions and actions taken by the Federal Government so far to allow a for a well-coordinated review of the situation including building consensus around succeeding actions.

“Consequently, I am to invite the Pro-Chancellors & Chairmen of Councils as well as Vice-Chancellors of Federal Universities to a special interactive meeting with the Honourable Minister of Education on Tuesday, September 6, 2022.”

ASUU had on Monday, August 29, 2022 declared an indefinite strike following a six month roll-over strike.

Lagos Varsity Wins $5,000 Millennium Oceans Prize

By

Rhoda Onuzulike

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August 30, 2022

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The Lagos State University (LASU) has emerged winner of the 2022 annual Millennium Oceans prize worth five thousand dollars.

The Coordinator, Centre for Information, Press and Public Relations, LASU, Ademola Adekoya announced the feat in a statement in Lagos on Friday.

He said that the university was represented by five students in its Department of Fisheries — Adeyemi Akanbi, Dawodu Fareed, Obadare Adenekan, Adebola Adewale and Precious Nkwor.

The students were supervised by two Associate Professors in the Department of Fisheries, LASU, Dr Ayofe Hammed and Dr Kafayat Fakoya.

LASU’s , tagged: ‘Lagos Plastic Revolution’, emerged best among applications received from over 200 universities in 53 countries across the globe.

The annual competition was organised by Millenium Campus Network (MCN) and Remmer Family Foundation.

Adekoya said that the Lagos Plastic Revolution (LPR) campaign was a students’ initiative aimed at reducing the menace of plastic litters ending up in Lagos waterways; starting with the three campuses of LASU as case studies.

“It is expected that the plastics collected would be processed into paving stones for building constructions,” he said.

The Vice Chancellor of LASU, Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, has congratulated the students and their supervisors for their efforts.

Olatunji-Bello said that the feat would further strengthen the university in soaring higher in global reputation.

She said it would serve as a motivation for other students of the university.