National Labour Congress Promises Hall Of Shame For Corrupt Judges

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May 1, 2023

The national president of the NLC has vowed that the labour union will create a “hall of shame” for judges that undermine the tenets of the judiciary.

The national president of the Nigeria labour congress, Joseph Ajaero, has vowed that the labour union will create a “hall of shame” for judges that undermine the tenets of the judiciary and come up with ridiculous judgements on election petitions.

Ajaero, who spoke in Abuja at a joint briefing with members of the civil society group under the labour and civil society front stressed the need to rescue the judiciary.

The movement, comprising several civil society and youth organizations, insisted that the independent national electoral commission had seriously damaged the country’s democracy with its poor showing at the elections. They also vowed to name and shame corrupt leaders.

Co-conveners of the movement included Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, Comrade Shehu Sanni, Ambassador Nkoyo Toyo, Professor Udenta Udenta, Salisu Mohammed, and Olawale Okunniyi.

Trade Union Congress also had its General Secretary, Nuhu Toro, in attendance.

According to the NLC boss, the judiciary has set so many states and institutions “on fire with ridiculous judgements and must answer certain questions from Nigerians.”

Banana Artwork Eaten By Seoul Museum Visitor

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Koko Lawrence

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May 1, 2023

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A South Korean art student ate a banana that was part of an installation by artist Maurizio Cattelan, saying he was “hungry” after skipping breakfast.

The artwork called “Comedian”, part of Cattelan’s’s exhibition “WE”, consisted of a ripe banana duct-taped to a wall at Seoul’s Leeum Musuem of Art.

After eating the banana, the student, Noh Huyn-soo, taped the peel to the wall.

The museum later placed a new banana at the same spot, reported local media.

The incident, which lasted more than a minute, was recorded by Noh’s friend.

The Leeum Musuem of Art did not respond to an email inquiry. However, it told media that it will not claim damages against the student.

The banana on display is reportedly replaced every two or three days.

In videos posted online, shouts of “excuse me” can be heard as Noh takes the banana off the wall. He does not respond and starts eating as the room goes quiet.

He then tapes the peel to the wall and poses for a moment before walking off.

Noh later told local media that he saw Cattelan’s work as a rebellion against a certain authority. “There could be another rebellion against the rebellion,” the Seoul National University student told KBS.

“Damaging an artwork could also be seen as an artwork, I thought that would be interesting… Isn’t it taped there to be eaten?”

When told about the incident, Cattelan said, “No problem at all”.

This is not the first time bananas used for Cattelan’s work have been eaten by a visitor.

In 2019, performance artist David Datuna pulled the banana from the wall after the artwork was sold for $120,000 (£91,000) at Art Basel in Miami.

The banana was swiftly replaced and no further action was taken.

Name Etched In Gold, King Charles’ School Remembers Him

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Koko Lawrence

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May 1, 2023

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King Charles III hasn’t even been crowned yet, but his name is already etched on the walls of Hill House School in London.

A wooden slab just inside the front door records Nov. 7, 1956, as the day the future king enrolled at Hill House, alongside other notable dates in the school’s 72-year history. There is a photograph of staff welcoming the then Prince Charles on his first day of school, and another of the 7-year-old boy getting into a Ford Zephyr with his bodyguard for the short trip back to Buckingham Palace.

To say Hill House is proud of its royal connection as Charles prepares for the coronation ceremony on May 6 would be an understatement.

“It’s just so fun to think the king went to our school,” said 11-year-old Lola Stewart. “Like, he’s worn our uniform. He’s probably been in this room. It’s just very exciting knowing that.”

Charles, the first U.K. monarch to be educated outside the palace walls, began his school career at Hill House, although he spent less than a year there before moving on to Cheam, an elite boarding school in the countryside west of London. Hill House, a family-run primary school in London’s tony Knightsbridge neighborhood is just a stone’s throw from the luxury department store Harrods and a short drive from Buckingham Palace.

But the future king was treated like anyone else, wearing the school uniform with a burnished gold jumper and walking through the streets to the nearby sports field without a bodyguard, though the headmaster’s wife was nearby.

Blessed with anonymity, Charles flourished, said Richard Townend, the son of the school’s founder who attended Hill House at the same time, though he was a few years older. The school focused — and still does — on giving students a broad range of experiences in sport, art, music and drama, alongside more academic pursuits.

British Collector Charts Coronation Brands, Since 1953

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Koko Lawrence

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May 1, 2023

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Coronation artefacts and souvenirs amongst the collections on display at Museum of Brands in London — Founder of Museum of Brands, Robert Opie, poses with a special edition of the Radio Times from 1953, to mark the coronation of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, which forms part of his huge collection of artefacts, consumer items and souvenirs on display at the museum in London, Britain, April 28, 2023. REUTERS/Toby Melville

Robert Opie has a unique way of documenting coronations: the 76-year-old has been gathering consumer products with a royal theme since the late Queen Elizabeth was crowned in 1953, when his school held a scrapbook competition.

The six-year-old Opie’s compilation of bread wrappers, milk bottle tops and pictures from magazines won first prize.

Seventy years on he runs London’s “Museum of Brands”, with some 12,000 objects, many of them devoted to Britain’s royals.

As the country gears up for the coronation of King Charles on May 6, Opie has updated his collection with new items, including labels of Cadbury chocolate and Lyle’s Golden Syrup.

“They’ll all fade away into some bin unless I save something,” he said. “And in another 10 years we’ll look back and say ‘Whoa! That was fun.’”

Opie’s museum in Notting Hill charts consumer culture and houses objects from past coronations.

“People get a tremendous thrill out of seeing the story that is us. And yet, without it, you don’t understand when things happened,” Opie said, adding that royal events formed the “skeleton of history”.

The oldest object in his collection is a Delftware plate from the reign of King William III who was on the throne from 1689 to 1702.

The museum, which was founded in 1982, represents only a small sample of Opie’s collection which he began in the 1960s and extended to hundreds of thousands of objects, he said.

“I’ve always had a fascination with things that are in many ways trivial, but when they’re all joined together, there’s a very powerful and exciting story that comes out.”

Prince William To Honour King Charles In Coronation Role

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Koko Lawrence

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May 1, 2023

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Prince William is set to honor his father, King Charles, during his coronation on Saturday.

The Prince of Wales – who is also the heir to the throne – will vow his loyalty and allegiance to the King during the ceremony.

According to the liturgy of the service, about halfway through the historic ceremony, William will kneel before his father, place his hands between his and recite: “I, William, Prince of Wales, pledge my loyalty to you and faith and truth I will bear unto you, as your liege man of life and limb. So help me God.”

William is the only member of the royal family who will honor Charles in this way during the coronation service. He will also appear as the Stole Royal as the Robe Royal is presented to the king. William will assist both the Baroness Merron and the bishops in placing the robe on Charles.

The vow, which is known as the Homage of Royal Blood, are similar to his late grandfather, Prince Phillip’s vow to Queen Elizabeth. Phillip pledged to “liege man of life and limb” to the late queen in 1953.

Per the liturgy, there is a change in tradition when it comes to the Homage of the People. In the past, that role was performed by hereditary dukes and earls at Westminster Abbey during the coronation.

This year, Charles and Archbishop, the Most Rev. and Right Honorable Justin Welby have invited the public to participate in the homage.

Senate President Lauds Nigerian Workers’ Patriotism

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Rhoda Onuzulike

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May 1, 2023

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President of the Nigerian Senate, Ahmad Lawan has commended all workers in Nigeria as they join their counterparts around the world to mark Workers’ Day on May 1st.

Senator Lawan, in a statement personally signed by him and released on Sunday, noted that the great Nigerian workers have been remarkable for their patriotism, commitment to nation-building and resilience in the face of serious development challenges.

He acknowledged that Nigerian workers have contributed in finding solutions to the challenges and supported the efforts of the government targeted at meeting the yearnings of the populace.

“This consistent patriotic stance of the Nigerian workers has enhanced peace and industrial harmony and provided a conducive environment for economic growth and development in the country.

Eagle Square Available for Workers’ Day Celebration- FG

“The dictum that “Labour creates wealth” remains valid today as it has ever been. It is in the realization of this that government must always pay serious attention to labour-related matters.

“It is with this understanding that the ninth National Assembly has guarded itself against the introduction of any anti-labour legislation since its inception in 2019. We are happy that this stance has also helped in sustaining industrial peace in the country.

“This being the last May Day in the tenure of the Ninth National Assembly, it is worth highlighting some of the relevant achievements of this Assembly.”

On parliamentary strides, the Senate President stated that; “By 2019 when the ninth Assembly was inaugurated, the nation’s financial year or budget cycle had become notorious for being unreliable and uncertain. To redress that situation, the Assembly in collaboration with the Executive Arm of Government, promptly reset the financial year to run from January to December. This has since then been sustained, resulting in significant improvement in budget performance.

“Also, we successfully passed many critical bills that had become jinxed under the previous Assemblies, as we did to some other extant legislation that are critical to good governance and service delivery in the public sector.

“Such critical Legislations include: Deep Off-shore and Inland Basin Production Sharing Contracts (Amendment) Act, 2019; Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020; Police Act 2020, Petroleum Industry Act 2021; Electoral Act 2022 and many more.

“A special mention must be made of the 16 constitutional amendment Bills, for the fifth alterations of the 1999 Constitution, which President Muhammadu Buhari signed into law in March this year.

“Recognising that Nigeria yet has many challenges to contend with, I urge the Labour movement to continue to sustain this atmosphere of industrial peace and harmony under the new administration of President-elect Ahmed Bola Tinubu that will be inaugurated on 29th May 2023.”

Senegalese Creates First Locally Made Surfboards

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Koko Lawrence

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May 1, 2023

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Senegalese entrepreneur creates first locally made surfboards — Pape Diouf, 27, repairs a damaged surfboard in his workshop named Sunugal surfboard repair in Yoff beach, Dakar, Senegal, April 19, 2023. REUTERS/Ngouda Dione

In a small beachside shack in Senegal’s capital Dakar, Pape Diouf spends hours on each surfboard he makes, shaping its foam surface with an electric planer to create the perfect curve.

Diouf, 27, is the first surfboard maker in the West African country, which has attracted surfers from around the world for decades due to Dakar’s position on a spit of land that juts out into the Atlantic Ocean, creating world-class waves.

The surf scene is dominated by locals, many of whom surf on old boards donated or passed down from older surfers. But Diouf, who is also a surfing instructor, aims to change that by increasing the availability of locally made boards.

“Ever since I was a little boy, I have dreamed of making my own board,” said Diouf, who opened his business “Sunugal Surfboard Repair” in 2020 with funds he earned from participating in an entrepreneurship competition.

Although he also repairs boards, making them is now his focus.

“Board making really needs to pick up,” said surfer Aita Diop, who competes with a board made by Diouf.

“Thank goodness we have one person making them, but there should be more so we can show that we are capable of making good boards,” she said.

Diouf’s boards sell for about 250,000 CFA francs ($422), which includes the cost of materials such as fibreglass that he has to import from Europe. He personalises some by decorating them with African fabrics.

“Currently it is only on site that you can have a Sunugal surfboard, but the goal of the project is not to stay in Yoff (the neighbourhood),” said Diouf, adding that he is working to open branches in other parts of Dakar and the country.

“Tomorrow, I hope we will see Sunugal surfboards all over the world.”

Airtel Africa, UNICEF Re-affirm Commitment to Digital Learning in Uganda

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Nzubechukwu Anodo

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May 1, 2023

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A telecommunications operator, Airtel Africa and UNICEF have re-affirmed their shared commitment to accelerate access to quality education by millions of children in Uganda and the rest of Africa, through digital learning.

The commitment was made during Airtel Africa CEO, Segun Ogusanya’s courtesy visit to Kitende Secondary School in Entebbe.

Airtel Africa and UNICEF have launched the digital learning partnership in October 2021, to accelerate the roll-out of digital learning for children by connecting schools to the internet and ensuring free access to learning platforms in Uganda and other Airtel Operating Countries, to ensure that every child reaches their full potential.

The partnership was launched in Uganda at St. Mary’s Assumpta Girls High School in Adjumani district which was connected by internet to Kitende Senior Secondary School enabling students at the two schools to engage in a shared online biology classroom session.

Addressing guests at Kitende SSS, Airtel Africa CEO, Segun Ogusanya said they are cognizant of the great value that education contributes to our nations across the continent, which is the reason for the deliberate promotion and empowerment of the people.

He added that Airtel Africa will continue to support the shared efforts of the Government of Uganda, by Identifying and collaborating with strategic partners like UNICEF to transform the way children learn and the education outcomes in Uganda and across 13 other countries where Airtel Africa operates.

Airtel Uganda in partnership with UNICEF and the government will connect 100 schools in the first two years, targeting to positively impact 54,750 learners and teachers in primary and secondary schools across the country but focusing on rural schools in West Nile and Karamoja regions.

Ogusanya commended Airtel Uganda for the investments it has made and collaborations to accelerate internet connectivity in Uganda.

He said Airtel Uganda has deployed over 2500 masts that are 100% 4G, across the country to ease communication, payments and money transfer while transforming the livelihoods of millions of Ugandans through financial and digital inclusion.

The 4th Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) which is among the 17 SDGs established by the United Nations advocates for inclusive and equitable quality education to promote lifelong learning opportunities for all children by creating easy access to education plus other learning opportunities.

Through the Kolibri digital learning platform, the partnership will reach 30,000 learners and 100,000 with USSD/SMS based content optimized for mobile.

The state minister for Primary Education, Moriku Kaducu acknowledged the positive contribution by Airtel Uganda and UNICEF which will be running for 5 years and targets to transform the way learners interact with teachers and the learning content.

She pledged government to support to the partnership in form of a conducive policy framework and engagement.

Gombe NYSC Inaugurates Camp Court

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Nzubechukwu Anodo

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May 1, 2023

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The Gombe State Coordinator of National Youth Service Corps, Ada Imoni has inaugurated a camp court for the quick adjudication of Batch A Stream II corps members’ cases.

The inauguration was done shortly after the day’s morning meditation at the temporary orientation camp Amada, Akko Local Government Area of Gombe State.

She urged the batch to behave in conformity with acceptable norms, in line with laid-down rules and regulations on camp.

Explaining the duty of the court, she reminded them that the camp being a regimented space was governed by law and order, stressing that the court will not hesitate to use the provisions of the bye-laws to try erring corps members.

She also announced the selection of three corps members within the batch platoon leaders to serve as camp directors, adding that its was management’s decision of carrying them along especially when making decisions.

She said the inauguration of the corps camp directors will serve as liaison between NYSC management and corps members for ease of administration.

The camp director, Ado Taura congratulated the 1,203 corps members on a successful swearing-in ceremony and appreciated God for the journey mercies granted all participants to camp.

Taura also emphasized on discipline, teamwork and collective responsibility.

2023 UTME: JAMB To Commence Release of Result

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Nzubechukwu Anodo

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May 1, 2023

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The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced date for the commencement of releasing results of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Board.

The Board said it would begin the release of UTME results on May 2, 2023.

This was contained in the minutes of the meeting during an emergency management meeting held over the weekend in Abuja.

The Board said it would be releasing the results of candidates, who have taken the examination so far on the 2nd of May, 2023.

The Board had delayed the release to ensure that all necessary screening are concluded besides ensuring that the mean and standard deviation are reasonably obtained before releasing these results.

The board noted that all candidates who sat for the examination but had challenges without being aware of such, would not see their results but would get notifications for rescheduled examination.

The examination body also said that three categories of candidates who missed their examinations had been rescheduled for mop-up examinations.

It said Candidates under these categories are principally those who were verified at their centers but could not sit the examination, those who could not be biometrically verified and those with mismatched data.