The management of Bayero University, Kano State, has suspended the ongoing 2022/2023 First semester undergraduate examinations and all other academic activities until further notice.
This is contained in a statement signed by the acting Registrar of the university, Amina Abdullahi, and issued to newsmen in Kano.
According to the statement, the suspension followed the nationwide strike embarked upon by NLC and TUC and a subsequent decision by the university unions to join the strike.
The statement also advised all students to remain calm and await further directives from the management.
The statement also said that the ongoing examinations are halfway through and as soon as the strike is over, the examinations will continue.
Zamfara State government has declared a state of emergency on education, attributing the development to several years of decay in the sector.
The state government has also suspended the licenses of private schools operators to ensure that quality education is provided.
Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal made the announcement in a state-wide broadcast on Tuesday.
He said the neglected education system in Zamfara affects all levels, from primary to tertiary institutions, with poor learning environments and personnel.
The declaration of a state of emergency on education is also in line with Lawal’s campaign promises to the people of Zamfara.
The state government has commenced the construction and renovation of 245 schools across the 14 Local Government Areas of the state; provision of two-seater desks for pupils and students, totalling 9,542, equipping the constructed and renovated 245 schools with 619 tables and 926 chairs for the teachers, adding that all teachers and education managers will also receive subject-specific training and retraining.
According to a statement made available by the governor’s spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, the state government has also approved sponsoring 50 per cent of Zamfara indigenes admitted into Federal Government Girls College, Gusau for the 2023-2024 academic sessions.
He said the state government has also paid the National Examination Council (NECO) fees for all Zamfara public school candidates who sat for the 2023 examinations.
He said certificates for the candidates who sat for the 2019 NECO examinations have been collected and distributed to the students.
He said the results of the NECO examinations taken in 2020, 2021 and 2022 will be released to students before the end of this month.
Idris added that with the intervention of the Lawal administration, students who graduated during those years can now access their results and apply to different tertiary institutions for admission.
He said Governor Lawal has also paid the tuition fees and allowances of students on scholarship in various countries, including Sudan, Cyprus, and India.
The statement concluded by stating that these measures are just the beginning of the government’s efforts to transform education in Zamfara, assuring the people that the government is committed to changing the narrative of constant underperformance and that Zamfara will thrive across all sectors.
Diabetes Control Media Advocacy Initiative has called on the Federal Government to subsidise the cost of drugs and make treatment accessible for people living with diabetes.
The non-governmental organisation, DICOMAI made the call on the 2023 World Diabetes Day on Tuesday while bemoaning the increasing costs of insulin, glucometer and test stripes in pharmacies.
The group also raised the alarm over what it described as the looming epidemic of diabetes complications in the country, lamenting that many persons with diabetes were no longer able to effectively manage their condition, as a result of the high rate of inflation in the country.
World Diabetes Day is observed on November 14 every year.
The global observance is to raise awareness about the impact of diabetes on the health of people and to highlight the opportunities to strengthen the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diabetes. The theme for World Diabetes Day 2021-23 is access to diabetes care.
In a statement, the Executive Director, of DICOMAI, Sam Eferaro and the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Dr. Afoke Isiavwe, decried the current economic realities warning that many people living with diabetes are increasingly unable to access essential diabetes medications and monitoring devices to control their blood sugar.
They said investigations into hospitals and diabetes centres throughout the nation showed that the majority of people with diabetes still pay for their drugs out of pocket because most of them lack health insurance.
The statement said, “We are worried that a large number of them cannot identify with this year’s theme: “Access to diabetes care” as it has become very difficult for these Nigerians to obtain essential diabetes medications and blood glucose monitoring devices for treatment and management.
“We are shocked to discover that people especially in the rural communities in virtually all the geographical zones have to travel far distances to towns and cities to obtain their medications with prices now beyond their reach.
“This is because diabetes medications and blood glucose monitoring devices are becoming difficult to access because of a spike in costs as the majority are imported into the country.”
Expressing worry that since vials of insulin are currently selling for between N6,000 and N15,000, some individuals who have daily injections-children in particular-are being compelled to cut back on their dosages.
In some cases, they noted, glycemic management requires more than one vial each month, even as price increases from 15 – 40 percent were noted in several states.
According to them, some families are faced with making difficult and painful choices to either buy insulin for their children or buy food, pay for school fees or house rent,
They noted, “From our observation, we believe that the current situation of the diabetes scourge demands realistic policies such as HIV and AIDS-free treatment care for all patients.
“We therefore urge both the Federal and all State Governments, including Abuja, to seize the opportunity of the 2023 World Diabetes Day to urgently step up efforts to provide access to people living with diabetes in these hard times. Not acting now could spell doom for the country given the nature of the disease.
“The Federal Government should also adopt pragmatic measures to immediately assist Nigerians living with diabetes and prevent unnecessary deaths and a wide range of complications associated with poorly managed diabetes.
“These will include the introduction of policies such as import duty waivers on diabetes medications and blood glucose monitoring devices alongside incentives for local production, and free treatment for children and the elderly across the nation in Government-owned hospitals.”
They urged the Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Health, to urgently declare the current status of diabetes in the country through a national diabetes survey.
Recently, leading medical practitioners raised the alarm over what they described as a catastrophic rise in the number of people living with diabetes mellitus in Nigeria, lamenting that the number has risen to 22m.
The experts revealed that half of the 22m (11m) Nigerians living with diabetes are unaware that they have the killer disease, warning that the number may double by 2045 if urgent measures are not taken to address the trend
Diabetes is a silent killer and one of the leading causes of death globally. It is a chronic condition brought about by either insufficient insulin (hormone regulating blood sugar levels) production by the pancreas, or inefficient insulin utilisation by the body. Uncontrolled diabetes results in high blood sugar, which over time seriously harms many different body systems.
Diabetes is not only closely associated with high blood pressure, obesity and hereditary, its complications also include damage to the brain, heart, kidney and limbs. It exposes its victim to blindness, kidney failure, heart attacks, stroke, and lower limb amputation.
Inadequate or absence of breastfeeding with excessive use of artificial milk increases the risk of type 1 diabetes mellitus in children, according to a consultant endocrinologist, Dr Bolanle Okunowo.
Okunowo, a consultant physician with the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, disclosed this in an interview with the Newsmen to commemorate the 2023 World Diabetes Day on Tuesday in Lagos.
She said exposing a child to artificial milk instead of breast milk early in life increases the chance of the child developing autoantibodies that predisposes him/her to the risk of developing type1 diabetes.
According to her, artificial milk is a foreign thing to the body of the child because it is not natural like breast milk.
Okunowo added that inadequate or absence of breastfeeding with increasing use of artificial milk feeding not only make the child prone to type 1 diabetes, but other health conditions.
She listed the health conditions as asthma, obesity and sudden infant death syndrome .
The endocrinologist emphasised the need for mothers to exclusively breastfeed their babies to help in building their immune system.
She noted that a mother was expected to exclusively breastfeed for six months.
“When a child is exposed to artificial milk early in life when born; that child has a risk of developing autoantibodies that can predispose him/her to the risk of developing type 1 diabetes.
“Because artificial milk is a foreign thing to the body of the child – is not natural, so the body of the child might start developing some chemicals (autoantibodies) early in life that predisposes the child to risk of type 1 diabetes.
“That’s why we encourage mothers to exclusively breastfeed babies for six months and thereafter in combination with food for two years.
“Breastfed babies have a lower risk of asthma, obesity, type 1 diabetes, and SIDS,” she said.
Okunowo emphasised the need for spacious playing grounds in schools to encourage exercise and adequate physical activity among Nigerian children.
This, she said, would help to reduce the incidence of childhood obesity.
She lamented that the playing ground of most schools had been reduced due to urbanisation, resulting in a lack of exercise which could make the children develop type 2 diabetes.
According to her, overweight and obesity in children are mainly caused by lack of exercise, which causes type 2 diabetes.
“The playing ground of the majority of the schools is almost zero.
“And the children take high caloric foods – when they pack their food for school there are all kinds of drinks, snacks and chocolates.
“Children of nowadays are into playing with phones or laptops- so they are not active and can hardly exercise because the school is small.
“So, these things predispose the children to developing type 2 diabetes.
“Childhood obesity is a major problem in Nigeria now that we are not seeing before,” Okunowo said.
The WDD is celebrated annually on November 14 to raise awareness of diabetes as a global public health issue, its risk and what to do importantly to support prevention, early diagnosis and timely treatment.
Seven Super Falcons of Nigeria players have made the shortlist for the 2023 CAF Women’s Player of the Year shortlist.
The Confederation of African Football – CAF on Tuesday, November 14 announced nominees for different Women award categories.
For the women’s player of the year, reigning award holder, Asisat Oshoala is joined by six compatriots, Rasheedat Ajibade, Chiamaka Nnadozie and Osinachi Ohale, Christy Ucheibe, Toni Payne and Uchenna Kanu.
29-year-old Oshoala has won the prestigious award in 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2022.
Asisat Oshoala exhibited her brilliance on the field with a spectacular bicycle kick, contributing to Barcelona’s commanding 5-0 triumph over Benfica in the UEFA Women’s Champions League opener on Tuesday.
The Super Falcons forward, who had previously scored a brace in Barcelona’s 6-0 victory against Villarreal in the Spanish league over the weekend, seamlessly continued her impressive form.
Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas each netted two goals against Benfica, setting the stage for Asisat Oshoala to cap off the 5-0 rout just one minute after coming off the bench.
Earlier today, Asisat Oshoala and six other Super Falcons players were nominated for this year’s CAF Women’s Player of the year award.
The central bank of nigeria (CBN) has announced that the old ₦200, ₦500, and ₦1,000 banknotes will continue to be legal tender indefinitely even beyond the initial sunday, december 31, deadline.
CBN made the announcement in a statement released by its spokesperson, Isa Abdul Mumin, on Tuesday.
The apex bank said that the decision was made “in line with international best practices and to forestall a repeat of earlier experiences.”
“Accordingly, all CBN branches across the country will continue to issue and accept all denominations of nigerian banknotes, old and redesigned, to and from deposit money banks (dmbs),” The Apex bank stated.
CBN also noted that it is working with the relevant authorities to vacate a court order that had previously set a deadline for the old banknotes to cease being legal tender.
The bank, therefore, urged the general public to continue to accept all naira banknotes (old or redesigned) for day-to-day transactions and handle these banknotes with the utmost care to safeguard and protect the lifecycle of the banknotes.
“also, the general public is encouraged to embrace alternative modes of payment, e-channels, for day-to-day transactions.” It added.
Casa Loma is a Gothic Revival castle-style mansion and garden that is located in midtown Toronto, in the Province of Ontario, within the central part of Canada.
As it is perched atop a hill in the heart of Toronto, within the charming neighborhood of The Annex, this majestic mansion stands as a symbol of opulence and historical significance that was commissioned by the wealthy financier and industrialist Sir Henry Pellatt, to serve as his residence.
The construction was from 1911 and it lasted through 1914 based on the vision of its commissioner, and the extensive work of the architect E. J. Lennox, who designed several other city landmarks.
As Casa Loma sits at an elevation of 140 m (460 ft) above sea level, 66 m (217 ft) above Lake Ontario, Sir Henry Pellatt’s vision for Casa Loma was inspired by European castles and his admiration for their grandeur, and it was built using the latest construction techniques of the time, including steel-reinforced concrete and electric lighting.
Sir Pellatt aspired to create a home that would surpass any other in Canada, showcasing his wealth and social status, which would further host esteemed guests and stand as a testament to his success in making this place of grandeur and hospitality.
The construction of the majestic structure spanned over three years and required a workforce of nearly 300 skilled laborers.
The castle’s foundation is anchored in bedrock, while the exterior features magnificent grey-brown limestone, contributing to its regal appearance.
Additionally, the interiors were meticulously crafted with fine materials, including walnut, oak, and marble, and in total, the construction cost escalated to approximately $3.5 million, a staggering sum during that time.
The architectural style that is featured on the building’s façade showcases a harmonious blend of various styles, predominantly Gothic Revival, with some Romanesque and Edwardian influences.
The castle boasts soaring towers, turrets, battlements, and majestic archways, all reminiscent of the medieval castles that inspired its creation, while one of the most important rooms that the interior contains is The Great Hall, which is an 18 m (60 ft) high room with intricate woodwork and splendid stained glass windows, making it the heart of the castle’s opulence.
Casa Loma, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
The interior furthermore boasts luxuries like electricity, multiple bathrooms with hot and cold running water, an elevator, and central heating, something that was considered a luxury back in the time when it was built.
Featuring 98 lavishly decorated rooms, including a grand ballroom, a library, a music room, and a solarium, as well as luxurious guest suites and servant quarters, Casa Loma was the place that everyone desired either to have for them or to stay in it and enjoy the excellent luxuries of the time.
In addition to this, the castle also has several secret passageways and tunnels. Moreover, as Casa Loma was completed just as the First World War was beginning, Sir Pellatt was using the castle, however, due to various business ventures that failed to deliver expected returns he was forced to sell the castle in 1923 after he fell on hard times.
After Sir Henry Pellatt’s departure, Casa Loma served various purposes, including a hotel, a war-time base for the Royal Canadian Navy, and even a popular nightspot during the Prohibition era, so that in 1937, the city of Toronto would purchase Casa Loma.
Then the city took it upon itself and commenced a thorough restoration project to preserve this invaluable piece of history so that once completed it would open it to the public as a museum.
The castle is now one of Toronto’s most popular tourist attractions, being among one of the great Toronto’s history and architectural heritage structures, attracting over 650,000 visitors each year.
Today Casa Loma is an important landmark in Toronto’s history, as it serves as a reminder of the city’s Gilded Age, when wealthy industrialists built lavish homes to showcase their wealth, further providing insight into the opulent lifestyle of the Canadian elite during the early 20 century.
In popular culture, the castle was also used as a filming location, and has been featured in movies and television shows such as “X-Men: The Last Stand” and “The Handmaid’s Tale”.
In conclusion, Casa Loma is a unique and fascinating building that is a testament to the vision of Sir Henry Pellatt, serving as a reminder of Toronto’s awe-inspiring architecture and rich history, while it continues to enchant and educate visitors while being cherished as a national treasure.
The National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) has kicked against the federal government’s directive that federal colleges of Education should remit 40% of their Internally Generated Revenues (IGR) to the federal treasury.
In a statement, the Union notes with enormous reservations that there is
no basis to apply this directive to the colleges of education since revenues collected in the colleges are meagre charges meant for the discharge of specific services.
According to the statement issued by the president of the Union, Dr.Smart Olugbeko, federal colleges of Education do not generate Internally Generated Revenue ( IGR), adding that they only charge service charges for student identity cards, health clinic services, hostel maintenance, laboratory equipment, teaching practice as well as consumables.
COEASU pointed out that the aforementioned charges cover for government inefficiency as these services are not being funded by government.
COEASU also noted that the recent report by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) that Education and Agriculture courses are the least subscribed among applicants to tertiary educational institutions is not only worrisome but portends a counter-developmental trend in Nigeria education system.
The Union therefore warned that
parents will bear the consequences of the policy,as many of them will have to withdraw their children from schools
If government goes ahead to implement the policy.
It however urge the Federal Government to exclude Colleges of Education from remitting 40% of their IGR to the federal treasury.
The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Okezie Kalu, has revealed that the National Assembly will soon launch an application known as ‘NASS Eyes’ to monitor budget transparency and implementation by the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government.
The monitoring will also include, adherence to the principle of federal character by the affected MDAs.
Kalu who dropped the hints during a courtesy call on him by the management team of AFRILABS, a high-tech company, said that the mechanism is driven by the conscious effort of the parliament to effectively check the performance of budgetary allocations to the agencies of government.
“So, while you think about the economic and entrepreneurial space, also think about innovations in leadership, through technology. How do we employ that in our oversight functions, so that we can be in our offices, heading our committees and also monitoring what is happening in various Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government; so that our oversight functions will not only be based on the bundles of papers submitted to us on the day we visit these MDAs, but a continuous analysis of what they are doing, day in, day out.
“A dashboard that is in the Parliament to see what is being captured in the MDAs will inform members of the Parliament better, so by the time they visit it, they would have gotten sufficient information that would help them oversight tax payers money more efficiently. It is something we must think about.
“We are thinking in that direction and we are about launching what we call the ‘NASS EYES’, the eyes that will be beaming the MDAs while they are working. They will be expected to upload some of the key performance indicators that we will give to them.
“From there, we will analyse and have a better understanding of their budget performance, even before budget presentations, because, some of them come for budget performance presentation and it is rushed, within few hours it is done. That is not well detailed!
“We need innovations, we need technology to drive that, so that we can dig and get beyond paper work, what you have done.
“Also in budgeting, the Federal Republic of Nigeria, innovations and technology will help us to know whether the NEEDS analysis are critical and are part of the budget, not somebody sitting in the office here in Abuja and be imputing anything they want into the budget when they have no social economic impacts on the lives of the people that the budget is meant for,” Hon Kalu said.
He also underscored the need for the deployment of technology in the oversight functions of the parliament, saying it would not only gauge the efforts of the government agencies but also give the needed boost to E-Parliament for the overall benefits of the people.
“It is technology that will help us drive that. It is also technology that will help us know whether the constituencies are being impacted sufficiently by the constituency projects that are being managed by the members of the parliament as well as the MDAs spread of projects; to know whether section 14 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the part B of it, with regard to federal character and as it affects projects, if they are well spread, equally, fairly, equitably across the nation, or not.
“There is no magic to this, except through technology. So, you see the scope of your work goes beyond just business and economics of our country. But I also have confidence, that what has driven you into the business space with innovations, will also push you into the leadership space to make sure that we increase the level of accountability and transparency in that aspectaspect”, the Deputy Speaker said.
Earlier in her presentation, the Executive Director of AFRILABS, Anna Ekeledo told the Deputy Speaker that their company is providing multilateral support systems to many organisations across the African hemisphere in terms of capacity building, among others.
“We run programs, working with international organisations, multilateral and development finance institutions, whereby we identify innovative solutions across various sectors, sections such as you know, financial services, for example, climates.
“Basically, what we do is, we support innovation hubs which have infrastructures on ground, all with physical centres across the African continent. Right now, our network spans across 53 African countries and over 200 African cities.
“So, in all of these innovates, in all of these spaces, we have young innovative entrepreneurs and then we run programmes that are in for capacity building, funding and financing. So we also mobilise financing as well to entrepreneurs. We also have a fund called Catalytic Africa, which is a matching fund for African start-ups”, Ekeledo said.
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behaviour or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
