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Gov. Oyetola Gives Reasons Aregbesola’s Education Policies Was Reversed

Rhoda Onuzulike
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Gov. Oyetola Gives Reasons Aregbesola’s Education Policies Was Reversed

Governor Adegboyega Oyetola of Osun has given reasons why he returned the 6-3-3-4 education policy to the state and abolished the single uniform policy immediately on assumption of office in 2018.

The governor disclosed the reasons in Abuja. He explained that his decision was based on the overwhelming demand of the people of the state who called for the reversal of the 4-5-3-4 policy introduced by the immediate past government of Rauf Aregbesola.

The governor said that there were indications that the policies were not in tune with what parents and students in the state desired at the time.

He also revealed that the previous policies, according to security reports, were encouraging cultism and other social vices among students in the state.

Oyetola added that the abolition of the policies was part of the recommendations of a committee of experts set up to review the initiatives in the state’s education sector.

On the 4-5-3-4, Oyetola said the policy did not align with the National Policy on Education such that most development partners and agencies refused to support the state on educational projects.

“The National Policy on Education is 6-3-3-4, ordinarily every state should align with the national policy as the minimum standard for education.

“Again, some of the donor agencies particularly UNICEF refused to support us on our educational activities because we did not align with the national policy.

“Meanwhile, the major reason for the 4-5-3-4 was actually because of the introduction of the school feeding programme. The programme will take care of pupils in classes one to three, and four and five will not be happy if they are not eating.

 “I believe that could have been taken care of administratively. It shouldn’t have affected the classification of the school system in the state,’’ he said.

The governor, who admitted that the previous policy caused some setbacks for the education sector in the state, cited the inability of pupils in the state to enroll for primary school leaving certificate examination as a result.

Rosh Hashanah: Number of Jews worldwide hits 15.2 million; 6.93 million Already in Israel

Elizabeth Williams
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Rosh Hashanah: Number of Jews worldwide hits 15.2 million; 6.93 million Already in Israel

There are now 15.2 million Jews worldwide, a 100,000 increase from the year before, according to the Jewish Agency.

In statistics published ahead of Rosh Hashanah, which begins Monday evening, the Jewish Agency said 8.2 million Jews live outside Israel, with the largest population in the United States, which has around 6 million Jews. In Israel, there are 6.93 million Jews, accounting for 45.3 percent of world Jewry, according to the research, which was compiled by Prof. Sergio Della Pergola of Jerusalem’s Hebrew University.

Following Israel and the US, the countries with the largest number of Jews are France (446,000), Canada (393,500), Britain (292,000), Argentina (175,000), Russia (150,000), Germany (118,000) and Australia (118,000).

The Jewish Agency said there 27,000 Jews living in Arab and Muslim states, with 14,500 in Turkey, 9,500 in Iran, 2,000 in Morocco and 1,000 in Tunisia.

The statistics are based on self-identification as Jewish and not as any other religion. The Jewish Agency said when looking at those eligible to get citizenship under Israel’s Law of Return, which requires at least one Jewish grandparent, there are 25.3 million Jews worldwide.

Israeli-PA Relations: Gantz defends meeting with Abbas, says had Bennett’s backing

Elizabeth Williams
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Israeli-PA Relations: Gantz defends meeting with Abbas, says had Bennett’s backing

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett approved of a recent meeting between Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, and also thinks Israel should work to shore up the PA leader’s hold on power, Gantz has said.

Gantz met Sunday with Abbas, marking the highest-level meetings between Israel and the PA in over a decade. The defense chief later announced a series of goodwill gestures toward the Palestinians, including a NIS 500 million ($155 million) “loan” of withheld tax revenues.

Some right-wing members of Bennett’s government coalition criticized the move, and Bennett himself, a former settler leader, has ruled out launching a diplomatic process with Ramallah, but Gantz insisted that the premier was on board with him meeting Abbas.

The prime minister knew about my trip, recognized my trip, knows what I’m talking about,” Gantz told Channel 12 news in an interview on Wednesday evening.

The defense minister noted that both he and Abbas “know that we cannot, at the moment, come to a diplomatic agreement,” but that they both believe in maintaining security ties in order to stabilize the region.

“It was a very important meeting, it was a meeting about security, where we discussed security cooperation and joint activities,” added Gantz. “We want to strengthen the moderate forces in the area.”

A statement from the Defense Ministry Sunday indicated that the focus of the meeting had been discussing moves to bolster the PA’s economy.

“The two also discussed shaping the security, civilian and economic reality in Judea, Samaria and Gaza,” the statement read.

“Whoever thinks that this is a simple formula to manage is mistaken,” Gantz added. “It is not simple. It is complicated.”

The defense minister said criticism of the meeting stems from a lack of understanding of the geopolitical forces at play.

“The strategic relations and security ties of the State of Israel should be looked at from a higher vantage point than some headline on Twitter or report from someone from somewhere,” Gantz said.

Bennett, who is walking a tightrope between his right-wing base and center-left coalition partners, has not commented on the meeting, which took place as he was en route back to Israel from Washington, where he met with US President Joe Biden.

Democrats Lawmakers Push For Reopening US Consulate In Jerusalem

Elizabeth Williams
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Democrats Lawmakers Push For Reopening US Consulate In Jerusalem

A group of visiting Democratic lawmakers expressed to Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Friday their support for US President Joe Biden’s plan to reopen the American consulate in Jerusalem, which served as a de facto mission to the Palestinians.

The matter is gearing up to become a point of conflict between Washington and Jerusalem, which opposes the measure.

Trump moved to close the consulate in 2019 and integrate it with the embassy that had been moved to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv, after he recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Trump described it as an efficiency measure, but it was seen as a de facto downgrading of ties with the Palestinians.

Much of the staff at the historic mission on Agron Street have continued doing the same jobs at the same location, though under a newly named Palestinian Affairs Unit formed under the larger umbrella of US relations to Israel.

Biden has expressed support for reversing the closure.

Asked for his position on the matter, Bennett told a group of US Jewish leaders Friday that Jerusalem is the capital of the State of Israel alone, while declining to comment further.

The group of Democratic lawmakers also met with President Isaac Herzog, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, Ra’am chairman Mansour Abbas, the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman Ram Ben-Barak.

After meeting with the group on Friday, Herzog tweeted, “Bipartisanship is a sacred pillar of the US-Israel alliance. Delighted to welcome a delegation of US Democratic Senators to Jerusalem.

Earlier this week, Israeli Foreign Minister Lapid warned that restoring the de facto mission to Palestinians could tear apart Israel’s fragile coalition government.

“We think it’s a bad idea and we’ve told America we think it’s a bad idea,” Lapid said.

Lapid said the reopening “will send the wrong message, not only to the region, not only to the Palestinians, but also to other countries, and we don’t want this to happen.”

“And besides, we have an interesting yet delicate structure of our government and we think this might destabilize this government and I don’t think the American administration wants this to happen,” added the foreign minister, referring to the coalition that includes right-wing, centrists, left-wing and Arab parties.

In a statement responding to Lapid’s remarks, the US Embassy in Israel said, “the US will be moving forward with the process to reopen our consulate in Jerusalem.”

FGGC Enugu: Hoodlum Attacks JSS 3 Student

Rhoda Onuzulike
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FGGC Enugu: Hoodlum Attacks JSS 3 Student

Students and management of the Federal Government Girls College, Lejja, Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State are terrified following a suspected attack on a JSS 3 student by yet-to-be-identified hoodlum.

It was gathered that the said student came out in the early hours of Saturday morning to ease herself when the hoodlum emerged from nowhere and attacked her with a knife.

The attacker severed his victim’s body until she managed to alert her fellow students.

At that point, the hoodlum bolted on sighting other students who emerged from the hostels to rescue their fellow student.

It was further learnt that the student was in pool of her blood when her fellow students rushed her to the school clinic for medical attention.

Following the incident, sources said fear has gripped the entire students and staff alike since such an incident should not have happened with the many internal security outfit guarding the school premises.

When contacted, the principal of the school, Dr. C.A Ogar, denied the incident but refused to provide more information on what actually happened at the school.

Israeli Company Unveils Electric Vehicle Battery That Can Recharge In 10 Minutes

Elizabeth Williams
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Israeli Company Unveils Electric Vehicle Battery That Can Recharge In 10 Minutes

StoreDot, an Israeli developer of extreme fast-charging (XFC) battery technology for electric vehicles, unveiled this month what it called the “world’s first” silicon-dominant battery prototype capable of recharging in just 10 minutes.

The company’s cylindrical cells use a 4680 format — 46 millimeters wide by 80 millimeters long — that is favored by global carmakers, specifically electric vehicle giant Tesla.

The battery tech has been in development for three years and includes five patents in cell design, StoreDot said in a statement last week. The design “increases throughput and addresses safety and performance issues typically associated with the hard case structure of cylindrical cells,” the company said.

StoreDot said it was now working on setting up a production line with Eve Energy, the company’s manufacturing partner in China.

“Achieving the goal of extreme fast charging a cylindrical cell in only 10 minutes has been on StoreDot’s technology roadmap from day one,” said StoreDot CEO Dr. Doron Myersdorf. “It’s highly significant that we can offer Electric Vehicle manufacturers the choice of cell formats, utilizing our XFC technology that will overcome the current barriers to EV [electric vehicle] ownership: range and charging anxiety.” This refers to the fear of a battery running out mid-journey and the driver getting stranded at a charging station.

The 4680 format battery will be ready for production at scale in 2024, the company said, as will its first-generation fast-charging pouch cell, also aimed at the EV market. StoreDot is also working on extreme energy density (XED) solid-state technologies, that will allow for longer battery operability and will enter mass production in 2028.

Power Sector: Electricity consumer group to monitor October bills

Elizabeth Williams
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Power Sector: Electricity consumer group to monitor October bills

The All Electricity Consumers Protection Forum (AECPF) says it will monitor the bills of customers for the month of October to ensure that there is no increment by electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos).

The group made this known in a letter to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) which was obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Lagos.

Dated August 30, The letter signed by its National Coordinator, Adeola Samuel-Ilori, said electricity consumer groups were vehemently against any form of increment in tariffs by the DisCos.

Samuel-Ilori noted that the group would continue to maintain vigilance even if given assurances by NERC and the DisCos that there would be no tariff hike based on past experiences.

“We are of the opinion that your organisation is not oblivious of the provision of the Electric Power Sector Reform Act, 2005 as it relates to increase in tariff process and steps to be taken.

“Let us reiterate that any increase in tariff announced without following such process as mandated in Section 76(1) and 76 (2) (b) and (f) will be resisted by the consumers, ” he said.

According to him, this may involve protests or legal action against NERC and the DisCos in a court of competent jurisdiction. He said the DisCos had not met the provision for the tariff increment especially in investment in infrastructure upgrade to improve quality of power supply to Nigerians.

UK increases storage limits for sperm, eggs, embryos to 55 years

Cleopatra Okohai
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UK increases storage limits for sperm, eggs, embryos to 55 years

Storage limits for eggs, sperm, and embryos would be increased to a maximum of 55 years as British Government plans to give people greater choices over when to start a family.

Under the proposals announced by Health Secretary Sajid Javid on Monday, prospective parents would be given the option to keep or dispose of frozen reproductive cells or embryos at 10-year intervals. The existing storage limit is 10 years.

Doctors had argued that the current limit after which prospective parents must decide whether to undergo fertility treatment or have the cells destroyed was too restrictive.

Research from the Royal College of Obstetricians has suggested that frozen eggs can be stored indefinitely without deterioration, thanks to a modern freezing technique.

Javid said, “The current storage arrangements can be severely restrictive for those making the important decision about when to start a family, and this new legislation will help turn off the ticking clock in the back of people’s minds.

“Technological breakthroughs included in egg freezing have changed the equation in recent years and it’s only right that this progress puts more power into the hands of potential parents.

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“By making these changes, we are going to take a huge step forward, not just for giving people greater freedom over their fertilities, but for equality too.’’

The proposals, which followed a public consultation launched last year, would need approval by Parliament.

Additional conditions would apply around third-party donors and posthumous use, with the health department saying it would be “inappropriate’’ for the limit to apply in all cases.

British Fertility Society chai,  Dr Raj Mathur welcomed the plans saying, “This change ensures that UK regulation is compliant with the scientific evidence about the safety of storage, and protects the ability of all our patients to make reproductive choices for themselves as individuals and couples.’’

European Banks Still Booking Profits In Tax Havens, As High Inflation Looms Over ECB Meeting

Elizabeth Williams
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European Banks Still Booking Profits In Tax Havens, As High Inflation Looms Over ECB Meeting

Top banks in Europe continue to use tax havens to book chunks of profits, a trend that has changed little since 2014 despite country-by-country disclosures becoming mandatory, the EU Tax Observatory said in a report on Monday.

Meanwhile, Rising Eurozone inflation provides the backdrop for the meeting of European Central Bank governors Thursday, with markets hoping for hints when policymakers might start easing their massive pandemic-era stimulus.

As the economic recovery gathered steam in the 19-nation club, consumer prices rose in August at a pace not seen in the past decade, climbing beyond three percent — overshooting the ECB’s new two-percent target.

ECB president Christine Lagarde previously promised to “look through” the surge and policymakers expect the rate to rise even further in coming months before falling back.

“We are more worried about the inflation rate being too low in the medium term rather than too high,” Isabel Schnabel, a member of the ECB’s executive board, said last month.

The ECB considers the jump in consumer prices to be driven by one-off, pandemic-related effects as energy prices recover and policies aimed at mitigating the economic impact are rolled back.

As such, observers do not expect the ECB’s governing council to touch historically low-interest rates or announce any significant change to their colossal bond-purchasing programme, despite some grumbling among its 25 members.

Jens Weidmann, the president of the German Bundesbank, urged the ECB in August not to ignore the risk of a higher inflation outlook and said the ECB must stand ready to gradually scale back its bond-buying.

“Even if some ECB hawks re-emerged over the last days, we don’t expect their pushback to be strong enough to deliver any changes to the ECB’s monetary policy stance,” ING bank economists Carsten Brzeski and Antoine Bouvet said.

The ECB last year launched a 1.85-trillion-euro ($2.2 trillion) pandemic emergency bond-buying programme (PEPP) to help the euro region weather the coronavirus crisis.

The huge asset purchases, scheduled to run until March 2022, are aimed at keeping borrowing costs low to keep credit flowing and boost economic growth.

The ECB will on Thursday also unveil the latest quarterly growth and inflation forecasts, but analysts expect few surprises.

The inflation outlook is predicted to stay roughly unchanged, at 1.5 percent in 2022 and 1.4 percent in 2023 — keeping the ECB’s 2.0 percent goal well out of reach.

U.N. Urges Australia To Speed Up Efforts To Drop Coal

Elizabeth Williams
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U.N. Urges Australia To Speed Up Efforts To Drop Coal

The United Nations special adviser on climate change, Selwin Hart said, on Sunday, Australia’s government should increase its efforts to phase out coal or else climate change will dramatically damage the country’s economy,

Australia’s reliance on coal-fired power makes it one of the world’s largest carbon emitters per capita, but its conservative government has steadfastly backed Australia’s new deputy PM casts shadow over 2050 net zero emissions ambition fossil fuel industries, saying tougher action on emissions would cost jobs.

“We fully understand the role that coal and other fossil fuels have played in Australia’s economy, even if mining accounts for a small fraction – around 2% – of overall jobs,” Hart said in a speech at the Australian National University in Canberra.

“But it’s essential to have a broader, more honest and rational conversation about what is in Australia’s interests.”

The U.N. has called for phasing out coal by 2030 in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries, which include Australia.

In July, energy and environment ministers from the Group of 20 big economies failed to deliver a deal to phase out coal by 2025. But some experts said there were chances of progress at U.N. climate talks in Glasgow in November.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said Australia is on a path to net zero carbon emissions but has stopped short of committing to a timeline. He has said that Australia would update its 2030 emissions projections going into the Glasgow talks.

Most other developed countries have signed up to a target of net zero emissions by 2050.

Hart said that the Australian government should “seize the moment” and switch to renewables.

“If the world does not rapidly phase out coal, climate change will wreak havoc right across the Australian economy: from agriculture to tourism, and right across the services sector,” he said.

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