The National Examinations Council has rescheduled the 2022 National Common Entrance Examination to give states with low registration of candidates the opportunity to register their candidates for the examination.
The examination which is conducted for admission into Federal Unity Colleges will now hold from April 23 to May 7, 2022.
The Council advised all candidates, parents, guardians and relevant stakeholders to take note of the new date for the examination.
The registration of candidates will continue till the new date of the examination.
Candidates, parents and guardians are advised to download the new examination timetable from the Council’s website.
President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the Ministry of Environment to give adequate attention to the Ogoni cleanup exercise, so as to ensure speedy completion of the project.
Environment Minister, Mohammed Abdullahi disclosed this to State House Correspondents while briefing them on Thursday, after he met behind closed doors with the Nigerian leader.
While explaining that the clean up project was in phases, Abdullahi, said 10 formally polluted sites have so far been cleaned up, adding that there had been concerns about some aspects of the project. He assured that the Nigerian government had made moves at rallying all stakeholders so the work could move faster.
The Minister said this was one of the issues he briefed President Buhari on how much progress had been made. He added that the President had instructed the ministry to ensure that adequate attention is paid to delivering on the project.
“I had the opportunity to present to Mr. President, in accordance with the key priorities of the ministry, certain key projects that are undergoing some sort of review and seeking direction from Mr. President.
“First, you are all aware of the hydrocarbon pollution remediation projects, which is called the Ogoni cleanup. It’s a major priority of this government and particularly, based on the undertaking and the promises made by Mr. President, to deliver a very clean ecosystem for the Ogoni people.
“Now I have briefed the President on where we are today and with my engagement inter alia, with key stakeholders. I had discussions with Shell, with UNEP, that is the United Nations Environment Program. I also had discussions with the chairman of the Ogoni Trust Fund, and of course, the newly deployed Project Coordinator of the fund.
“So, I’ve updated the President on that and the key understanding is that we are focused on the delivery of the Ogoni cleanup. We are directed, particularly by the President, to be very focused and, as he said, fix our eyes on the ball to ensure there are no distractions.
“He gave us marching orders to ensure that the concerns raised by the partners, particularly Shell, UNEP, Agip, Total, and other parties, and indeed the stakeholders of Ogoniland are addressed to ensure that the process goes unhindered”.
Asked if the current administration hoped to complete the clean up process during its tenure, the Minister said things are being sped up, but that the administration did not envisage completing all the phases.
“There is nothing miraculous about our approach to the cleanup operations, it is going to be a very pragmatic, practicable and quick-win solution. First, like I told you earlier, is to ensure that there is a multi-stakeholder agreement in terms of what we’re supposed to do, where we’re going.
“Then secondly, we’ve taken very strong steps to address the concerns bordering on procurement, on project management, on fund management and so on, so that all stakeholders will be on board.
“So, I can assure you that if these issues are resolved, within the next couple of weeks, we should be focused on immediate procurement processes that will ensure that the projects are implemented as at when due.
“However, they are phased projects, we do not envisage that we can finish the entire project within the lifetime of this government.
“Nonetheless, the process that we can do at the moment, the procurement that we can do at the moment, to ensure that there is immediate irrigation, water projects to ensure that there is clean water provided for the people and that other sites, will begin the remediation process.
“This is done in liaison with UNEP and our sister agency, NESDRA. So, we are on course, we’ll do the best we can and I can assure you that we will cover some mileage in the process.
“So, there is no magic or miracle about it, we are focused on what we want to do. Like I told you, Mr. President said our eyes must be on the ball and that’s what we’re trying to do”, he said.
On how much work has so far been done, he said “at the moment, from the briefings I’ve gotten from the Project Coordinator, there has been considerable progress in terms of actual site remediation. Unfortunately, I don’t have the sites yet, but close to about 10 sites that are very endemic in terms of pollution and damaged ecosystem, have been remediated.
“Actually, there have been a number of measures that have gone into that process”, he said.
The U.S. Department of Defense plans to build an advanced mobile nuclear microreactor prototype at the Idaho National Laboratory in eastern Idaho.
The department late last week signed off on the Project Pele plan to build the reactor and reactor fuel outside of Idaho and then assemble and operate the reactor at the lab.
The decision follows a two-volume, 600-page environmental impact statement that includes public comments evaluating alternatives for building and operating a gas-cooled microreactor that could produce 1 to 5 megawatts of power.
“Advanced nuclear power has the potential to be a strategic game-changer for the United States, both for the (Department of Defense) and for the commercial sector,” said Jeff Waksman, program manager for Project Pele. “For it to be adopted, it must first be successfully demonstrated under real-world operating conditions.”
Officials had previously said preparing testing sites at the Idaho National Lab and then building and testing the microreactor would take about three years.
The department said the project is subject to the availability of appropriations.
Duke, 86, has visited his Apollo 16 spaceship at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center to mark the 50th anniversary of his one and only trip to the lunar surface.
Only four of the 12 U.S. astronauts who walked on the moon are still alive, and Duke stays busy with speaking engagements.
Duke said he still has vivid memories from the journey, which was the next-to-last U.S. mission to land on the moon.
His face lit up during an interview recalling his initial thoughts upon stepping off the lunar lander on to the dusty surface.
“I mean, ‘I’m on the moon!’ I can’t believe it. Even today it’s an exciting thought,” the North Carolina native said.
The late John Young was first out of the lander and walked on the moon with Duke, while Ken Mattingly orbited the moon in the command module, nicknamed “Casper.”
One of Libya’s rival administrations convened for the first time on Thursday in the southern province of Sabha, vowing to end deepening political divisions.
The meeting, far from the capital Tripoli, was the latest sign that Libya remains mired in divisions, months after a U.N.-supported election that was supposed to unify the country in December failed to materialize.
In recent months, the oil-rich country has become once again split between two administrations, one in Tripoli led by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah and another by Fathi Bashagha, a former interior minister who was elected premier by the east-based parliament in February.
In a televised session, Bashagha sat down with his ministers.
In February, the east-based House of Representatives elected Bashagha to lead a new interim government. The lawmakers there claimed the mandate of interim Prime Minister Dbeibah, who is based in Tripoli, expired after the election failed to take place as planned in December.
Dbeibah, however, stood defiant against efforts to replace his government. He said he will hand over power only to an elected government.
Bashagha’s cabinet met in Sabha, more than 400 miles away from the capital Tripoli.
In the meeting, Bashagha’s cabinet outlined other objectives and policies including the protection of the country’s southern borders and oil facilities.
Since his appointment, Bashagha has been unable to seat his government in the capital, which remains under the control of Dbeibah and allied armed groups. Bashagha had repeatedly said that he would not enter Tripoli by force.
With the two leaders sticking to their positions, tensions have risen, and heavily armed militias mobilized in the western region, including the capital.
Honduras extradited former President Juan Orlando Hernández to the United States on Thursday to face drug trafficking and weapons charges in a dramatic reversal for a leader once touted by U.S. authorities as a key ally in the war on the drugs.
Just three months after leaving office, Hernández boarded an airplane handcuffed with agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration bound for the United States, where he faces charges in the Southern District of New York.
Hernández was arrested at his home in Tegucigalpa in February at the request of U.S. authorities. He was shackled and paraded in front of journalists, a sight many Hondurans never imagined seeing.
Honduran officials have said the three charges Hernández will face in the U.S. are conspiracy to import and distribute drugs to the United States, using firearms in support of a drug trafficking conspiracy and conspiracy to use firearms in support of drug trafficking.
Honduras’ Supreme Court rejected his appeal of a judge’s decision in favor of extradition.
U.S. prosecutors have accused Hernández of fueling his political rise with money from drug traffickers. The payments were made in exchange for Honduran authorities allowing them to operate or for information allowing them to evade interdiction.
Hernández has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. In a video message released Thursday, he said, “I am innocent; I have been and I am being unjustly subjected to prosecution.” He has said he is the victim of drug traffickers he extradited who are now lying to seek revenge
Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu was Special Guest of Honour at the Digital Launch and Reception to mark the landing of Equiano sea cable systems in Lagos, Nigeria.
The cable is named after Olaudah Equiano, Nigerian-born writer and abolitionist.
Director Google West Africa, Juliet Ehimuan explains the importance of this Project and what the future holds for the ecosystem; Better Internet, Cheaper Internet, Job Creation and many more.
She also explained that this Cable Landing will provide approximately “20 times more Network Capacity” than the last cable built to serve the region.
She thanked the Government of Lagos State under the leadership of Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu & the Elegushi Family.
The submarine cable which is landing in the second city in Africa is expected to improve broadband penetration, and quality of service as well as advance the digital economy in Nigeria by 2025.
This was made known in a note by Google’s West Africa Director, Juliet Ehimuan-Chiazor, where he said that the cable landed in Lagos today, making it its second successful landing in Africa after it reached Togo last month.
The cable, named after Olaudah Equiano, a Nigerian-born writer and abolitionist, is among the first in a series of landings in Africa for the subsea cable and is expected to run from Portugal along Africa’s west coast to South Africa.
Across much of the country, people lack affordable, reliable & quality access, which limits their ability to benefit from, and contribute to, the digital economy.
“Since 2017, the Nigerian government has been actively working on its digital transformation programs as part of plans to grow its domestic sectors.
“These initiatives have proven pivotal to the success of many industries in the country, especially the start-up space. In the last five years, start-ups in Nigeria have produced five unicorns (start-ups valued at over a billion dollars).
Businesses are also benefiting significantly from the usage of internet platforms, with total e-commerce annual expenditure predicted to climb to $75 billion by 2025, up from its current projection of US $12 billion.
“Though a great deal of progress has been made, studies suggest that faster internet connections, better user experiences, and reduced internet costs will help accelerate these benefits.
“Landing this cable comes as part of critical stages leading up to its deployment later this year, and it is expected to deliver up to 20 times more capacity than the region’s prior cables.
We’ve worked with established partners and in-country experts to ensure that Equiano has the greatest potential effect in Nigeria and throughout Africa.
“A recent economic impact assessment conducted by Africa Practice and Genesis Analytics states that Equiano’s arrival in Nigeria is expected to result in faster internet speeds and significantly improve people’s experiences while online.
Internet speeds in Nigeria are expected to grow almost sixfold by 2025, and retail internet prices are forecasted to decline by 21% over the same period.
The same study found that by 2025, real GDP in Nigeria is forecast to be USD 10.1 billion higher than it otherwise would have been without Equiano and that the cable would indirectly generate roughly 1.6 million new jobs between 2022 and 2025.
“We are partnering with multiple key telecom players, including our landing party, the West Indian Ocean Cable Company (WIOCC), where Equiano lands to ensure that the cable can reach more businesses and end users across Nigeria and the African continent more broadly
“With Equiano, we look forward to being an even more integral part of the digital transformation journey in Nigeria.”
What you should know
Recall that last month, the subsea cable landed in Togo, and it is expected to run from Portugal along the West Coast of Africa connecting Europe to Togo, Nigeria, Namibia, South Africa, and Saint. Helena.
Google had earlier announced that it would work with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to drive national targets for ubiquitous broadband access.
The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of NCC, Professor Umar Garba Danbatta said that Equiano will reduce the cost of retail data in the country, adding that the partnership would speed up the digital economy and commitment to improving national security targets of the country through technological advancement.
An international human rights group urged Sri Lankan authorities to conduct a prompt and impartial probe into a police shooting that left one person dead and 13 others injured during protests over the country’s worst economic crisis in decades.
Human Rights Watch asked the government to probe the “apparent use of excessive force by police” in the incident and “take appropriate steps against any wrongdoing.”
Patricia Grossman, the group’s associate Asia director, said the use of live ammunition by police against demonstrators “appears to be a flagrant misuse of lethal force.”
The statement came hours after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa pledged an impartial and transparent inquiry into the shooting, which was the first by security forces during weeks of protests and reignited widespread demonstrations across the Indian Ocean island nation.
The shooting occurred in Rambukkana, 90 kilometers (55 miles) northeast of the capital, Colombo. Police said the demonstrators were blocking railway tracks and roads and ignored police warnings to disperse. Police also said protesters threw rocks at them.
The calls for an investigation came as Parliament on Thursday observed a minute of silence in memory of more than 260 people killed in 2019 in Islamic State group-inspired suicide bomb attacks on churches and tourist hotels.
Protesters who have camped outside the office of Sri Lanka’s president for 13 days demanding his resignation also offered alms to Buddhist and Christian clergy in memory of the dead.
French President Emmanuel Macron visited a multicultural, working-class suburb north of Paris on Thursday to woo leftist voters ahead of Sunday’s presidential runoff vote against far-right challenger Marine Le Pen.
Reflecting the vote’s wide international influence, Macron received support Thursday from the center-left leaders of Germany, Spain and Portugal, who urged French voters to choose him over the nationalist Le Pen.
Their appeals came only a day after imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny also spoke up about the French vote, alleging that Le Pen is too closely linked to Russian authorities to become France’s next president amid Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Macron, who led the first round of voting on April 10 that eliminated 10 other candidates, said he was taking nothing for granted and was seeking broader support.
He said he chose to make one of his last campaign stops in a place that “is facing many difficulties” in the poorest region of mainland France, the Seine-Saint-Denis, where many residents are immigrants or have immigrant roots.
His visit came after the two rivals clashed bitterly in a televised debate Wednesday, with Macron saying that Le Pen’s plan to ban Muslim women in France from wearing headscarves in public would trigger “civil war” in the country, which has the largest Muslim population in Western Europe.
Le Pen, meanwhile, was speaking with voters in northern France ahead of her final rally Thursday evening in the town of Arras.
Macron did not have an easy task in Saint-Denis, where an overwhelming majority of voters had supported far-left candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who came in third in the first round of voting and did not make the runoff.
China's President Xi Jinping attends a meeting with Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro (unseen) at Miraflores Palace in Caracas July 20, 2014. REUTERS/Jorge Silva
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday proposed a “global security initiative” that upholds the principle of “indivisible security”, a concept also endorsed by Russia.
During a video speech to the annual Boao Asia Forum, Xi said that the world should respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, while paying attention to the “legitimate” security concerns of all.
Addressing a gathering on the southern Chinese island of Hainan Xi,”We should uphold the principle of indivisibility of security, build a balanced, effective and sustainable security architecture, and oppose the building of national security on the basis of insecurity in other countries,”.
In talks over Ukraine, Russia has insisted that Western governments respect a 1999 agreement based on the principle of “indivisible security” that no country can strengthen its own security at the expense of others.
China and Russia have grown increasingly close, and China has refused to condemn Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow calls a “special operation” to demilitarise the country. China has blamed the Ukraine crisis on NATO’s eastward expansion.
Analysts note that this is the first time China has argued for “indivisible security” outside the context of the Russia-Ukraine crisis, with implications on U.S. actions in Asia.
Wang Jiangyu, a law professor at the City University of Hong Kong, said by evoking the concept of “indivisible security”, which had originated from Europe, China could hope to make its actions in defence of its core interests appear more legitimate to other countries.
Xi also reiterated China’s opposition to unilateral sanctions and “long-arm jurisdiction”, without directly mentioning the West’s punitive actions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.
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