No fewer than 115 inmates in Enugu recorded credit passes in English Language and Mathematics in the last National Examination Council (NECO)-organised Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE) (External).

Public Relations Officer of Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Monday Chukwuemeka, Enugu State Command, disclosed this in a statement in Enugu , adding that inmates in the state had been excelling in SSCE.

According to him, in 2018, 84 inmates got credit passes in English Language and Mathematics while 136 inmates got credit passes in English Language and Mathematics in 2019.

He said that all the inmates were tutored within the custodial centre.

He disclosed that the Nigerian Correctional Service under the leadership of Haliru Nababa focuses on educational development as a viable tool for reforming offenders.

With the NCoS Act of 2019; the service has created a paradigm shift in the treatment of inmates in custody.

The paradigm shift to correction and reform has given rise to the opportunity for inmates to actualise their educational aspirations while in reformatory/rehabilitation process,’’ he said.

The spokesman said that the Controller of Enugu State Command of NCoS, Joseph Emelue, commended the inmates for the feat.

Chukwuemeka said that the controller appealed to members of the public to see the inmates as reformed upon release and avoid any form of stigmatisation.

The Yaba College of Technology in Lagos State has described as laudable, winning of 100,000 US Dollars Ford Foundation grant by three of its researchers/staff members.

Deputy Registrar of the college, Joe Ejiofor, told journalists in Lagos that the fund would further support efforts to develop the institution.

Ejiofor listed the three researchers who jointly wrote a proposal that won the grant to include Dr Adeleke Abiodun of the Department of Chemical Science and Dr Funmilayo Doherty of the Department of Biological Science and Dr Odun Orimolade  of the Department of Fine Arts, according to Ejiofor.

According to the deputy registrar, who is also the institution’s Public Relations Officer, the research team also won a similar grant two years ago.

The first grant they won in 2019 was used to develop an institutional policy on sexual harassment and gender-based policy, as well as set up a museum for the college.

He said there is a proposal to use the second grant for the Yaba Art Museum.

Ejiofor said that the museum would host an archive presentation of “Living Blue” on the life and work of Chief Nike Okundaye, who was committed to youth development and gender advocacy.

It will also accommodate Yaba Cartoon Nation which will present archives of cartooning as a tool for social justice advocacy in Yaba alumni pursuits.

Nigerians have expressed displeasure over the exclusion of Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo Kuti, who was nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for 2021.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame had published 16 nominees for its 2021 class of inductees and on the list is the Afro beat originator, who many believed had been eligible for some time and is finally being recognised for the honour.

Being the only African, Kuti was nominated alongside 15 other international artistes or bands comprising Mary J. Blige, Kate Bush, Devo, Foo Fighters, The Go-Go’s, Iron Maiden, Jay-Z, Chaka Khan, Carole King, LL Cool J, New York Dolls, Rage, Against The Machine, Todd Rundgren, Tina Turner and Dionne Warwick.

This is the first time Fela is being nominated to the prestigious Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

But an announcement by the organisers on Wednesday showed Fela had missed out as an inductee of the 2021 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame despite placing second in the fan vote category which creates a single official ballot.

Turner had led the fan vote with more than 585,000 ballots cast in her favor, beating Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti — who secured the runner-up position with more than 545,000 votes.

Jay-Z, the Foo Fighters, The Go-Go’s, Carole King, Todd Rundgren and Tina Turner were announced as the newest inductees into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, according to the organiser.

Speaking of the new inductees, John Skyes, the Chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, said: “This diverse class of talented Inductees reflects the Rock Hall’s ongoing commitment to honor artists whose music created the sound of youth culture. It will make for an unforgettable live celebration of music in October at this year’s Induction Ceremony in Cleveland.”

Also, LL Cool J, Billy Preston and Randy Rhoads will get musical excellence awards; Clarence Avant the Ahmet Ertegun award; and Kraftwerk, Gil Scott Heron and Charley Patton get early influence awards.

Ballots were sent to an international voting body of more than 1,200 artists, including current living Inductees, historians, and members of the music industry.

Some of the factors considered were an artist’s musical influence on other artists, length and depth of career and the body of work, innovation, and superiority in style and technique.

Historically, there’s no correlation between Fan Vote selection and subsequent inductions.

Last year, only one of the five Fan Vote acts actually got inducted (the Doobie Brothers), even though Dave Matthews tallied the most.

Up until then, every single Fan Vote champion had been inducted the same year they won.

Prominent Nigerians, including Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi, Davido, Don Jazzy, Burna Boy, Banky W, Japheth Omojuwa, Omoyele Sowore, and Funke Kuti had taken to Twitter to call on their fans to vote for the Afrobeat pioneer.

But many Nigerians have taken to social media to express their displeasure with the organisers for not finding Fela Kuti worthy of induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for 2021 despite his exploits as Afrobeat legend.