Lagos government begins review of secondary school curriculum (Guardian)
Amid complaint on the curriculum being used at primary and secondary school levels, the Lagos State government has begun moves to review them to meet current trends.
Over 200 teachers from various schools in the state met recently to review the senior secondary schools unified schemes of work to actualise conformity with the present reality and the envisaged turn-around of the sector.
In her address, the commissioner for education, Mrs. Folasade Adefisayo commended the teachers who she said were specially selected for the week-long review programme, and explained that these schemes of work are statutory reference materials essentially needed in both public and private schools nationally to plan their daily, weekly and termly subject lessons and other academic activities. Read more
LCC begins cashless operation on Lekki-Ikoyi Bridge Jan 1 (Punch)
The Lekki Concession Company has set January 1, 2020, to begin cashless operation on the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge.
The Managing Director of the LCC, Yomi Omomuwasan, while addressing the press on Thursday, noted that the company would no longer accept cash payment at the toll plaza from 2020.
Omomuwasan, who noted that the firm had upgraded its registered users into its newly installed system, added that one device of payment would be used for its two facilities (the road and the bridge). Read more
Sanwo-Olu to retired perm secs: Be ready to serve (Nation)
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has urged retired permanent secretaries to continue to serve Lagos State whenever their services are required.
Sanwo-Olu, represented by Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat at the pen-down ceremony held yesterday at the Adeyemi Bero Auditorium, Alausa, Ikeja, advised the retired technocrats to expect a call anytime their services are needed.
“As you bid the Lagos State Public Service farewell and begin a well-deserved new life in retirement, I wish you all the best in your future endeavours. I enjoin you all to be prepared to serve the state whenever you are called upon,” he said. Read more
Man gets 11 years for raping minors (Nation)
An Ota Magistrates’ Court in Ogun State on Thursday sentenced a 26-year-old homosexual, Michael Kudowo, to 11 years for raping four male minors.
Senior Magistrate Mr. Shotunde Shotayo ruled that the convict must serve the sentence at the correctional centre in Abeokuta, Ogun State, without any option of fine.
He ordered that the four minors aged between 12 and 15 be taken to Borstal Training Institution, Abeokuta for reorientation. Read more
How my neighbour turned me blind for rejecting private affairs – Widow (DailyTrust)
A middle-aged widow, Mallama Amina Suleiman, has narrated her ordeal in the hand of a neighbour, whom she accused of beating her to pulp until she lost her sight for rejecting proposed private affairs. Mrs Suleiman, a mother of four, who lost her husband few years back, explained to Kanem Trust that one of her neighbours proposed to her after the demise of her husband, who was working with Federal Polytechnic, Damaturu as security officer, but refused.
She said she was beaten mercilessly over her rejection. Read more
Adoke under interrogation over $1.06b Malabu deal (Nation)
A former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN) was on Thursday taken into custody by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), shortly after returning into the country.
He was undergoing grilling at the Wuse 2 Annex Office of the anti-graft commission as at 9.32pm. Adoke’s passport was seized by the agency.
The EFCC on its twitter handle said the ex-AGF left Dubai after it mounted pressure. Read more
Price of Nigeria’s Bonny Light rises further to $67.37 (Vanguard)
The price of Bonny Light, Nigeria’s premium oil grade, has risen further from $66.07 to $67.37 per barrel in the global market, as the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC, moves to enforce its recent 500,000 barrel per day, bpd oil output cut.
Oil price hovers at $57, as Saudi Arabia cuts output by 500,000 bpd
According to OPEC, total cuts from different nations, including United Arab Emirate, Kuwait, Iraq and Russia are expected to culminate in the withdrawal of 1.7 million bpd from the market, thus pushing oil price to about $70 per barrel in 2020. Read more
Man jailed nine months with hard labour over visa scam (Guardian)
Justice Mohammed Owolabi of the Oyo State High Court 14, sitting in Iyaganku, Ibadan yesterday convicted one Hammed Babatunde Mutiu of visa racketeering and sentenced him to nine months in prison.
Hammed was facing a 16-count criminal charge of obtaining money under false pretense, uttering and forging documents in a suit filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibadan zonal office.
The charge was a sequel to a petition jointly written by four of his victims in which he was alleged to have collected sums totaling N4, 350, 000 with the pretense that he had secured Canadian visas for them. Read more
Ekiti community protests herdsmen’s invasion (ThisDay)
Tension rose in Orin Ekiti in Ido/Osi Local Government Area of Ekiti State wednesday as residents protested an alleged attempt by suspected herdsmen to forcefully take over their lands.
The protesters that comprised of old people as well as young men and women of the community, regretted that the suspected herdsmen had destroyed crops that belonged to 70 farmers, which was estimated to worth more than N50 million.
They alleged that one person, Mr. Emmanuel Ilori, was allegedly killed by suspected herders while Benue farmers in the town were chased away. Read more
2, 745 condemned inmates awaiting execution, as 22 deradicalised convicts sit for SSCE (Vanguard)
The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has said there are currently 2, 745 inmates on death row, urging state governors to either approve their execution or commute them to life imprisonment to allow the service effectively engage them in skills acquisition and other rehabilitative efforts.
This was as the Service announced that no fewer than 22 inmates who have been successfully deradicalised by its personnel have sat for the Senior School Certificate Examination, a development described by the service as part of its rehabilitation efforts.
Service Public Relations Officer, Controller Francis Enobore disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja when he led journalists on a guided tour of the Service’s Farm Centre in Dukpa, a suburb of Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory FCT. Read more
Court jails homosexual 11 years for raping four minors (Guardian)
An Ota Magistrates’ Court in Ogun State yesterday sentenced a 26-year-old homosexual, Michael Kudowo, to 11 years for raping four male minors. The senior magistrate, Shotunde Shotayo, also ruled that the convict must serve the sentence at the correctional centre in Abeokuta, without any option of fine.
Shotayo also ordered that the four male minors (names withheld) and aged between 12 and 15 years should be taken to Borstal Training Institution, Abeokuta for reorientation.
Kudowo, who lives within Ile-Ita area, Ota, had pleaded guilty to the three-count charge of kidnapping, raping and having carnal knowledge of minors before his conviction. Earlier, the prosecutor, Insp. Cynthia Ejezie, told the court that Kudowo committed the offences between August 2018 and December 2019 in Ile-Ita area. Read more
JAMB generates N20bn in 3 years – Registrar (Vanguard)
Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, Registrar, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), says the board has generated N20 billion from University and Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME) between 2016 and 2019.
He made the disclosure during a two-day meeting with Computer Based Test (CBT) Centre Operators, State Coordinators of the Board, Financial Institutions and Internet Service Providers on Thursday in Zaria, Kaduna State.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting, which was held at Kongo Conference Hotel, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), aimed at deliberating on issues affecting the board and way forward. Read more
Lukaku left with goal burden as Inter aim to stay with Juve (Guardian)
Inter Milan will have to rely on Romelu Lukaku for their goal threat on Saturday as the Serie A title challengers aim to move level with Juventus without striking revelation Lautaro Martinez.
The pair have struck 18 of Inter’s 32 league goals this season as Antonio Conte has led them into their first serious title in nearly a decade, but Belgian Lukaku could be partnered by teenage rookie Sebastiano Esposito, who is set for his first Serie A start following a series of promising appearances from the bench in recent weeks.
Two draws in a row have put the breaks on Inter, with Dusan Vlahovic’s last gasp equaliser for Fiorentina last weekend allowing Juve to stay level on points before moving three ahead on Wednesday. Read more
Former Man Utd star Januzaj hits hat-trick in Real Sociedad cup romp (Vanguard)
Former Manchester United star Adnan Januzaj hit a hat-trick to help Real Sociedad rout fourth-tier 8-0 in the Spanish Cup second round on Thursday.
Belgian international Januzaj, who spent four years at Old Trafford before being signed by Sociedad in 2017, found the net in the 44th, 46th and 63rd minutes. Read more
Ozil cut from video game in China over Xinjiang comments (Guardian)
Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil has been deleted from Chinese versions of the popular Pro Evolution Soccer (PES) mobile game, the title’s China distributor has said, as the fallout builds over his criticism of the country’s treatment of its Uighur minority.
US-listed Chinese internet company NetEase said it removed Ozil from the game due to his “extreme comment about China.”
Ozil, a German national of Turkish origin, condemned China’s crackdown on Muslim minorities in the western region of Xinjiang in a tweet last Friday and criticised Muslim countries for failing to speak up about the alleged abuses. Read more
NPFL: Focus on John Obuh’s reign at Akwa United (Vanguard)
When Akwa United appointed a star-studded coaching crew led by John Obuh during the off season, the atmosphere around the club significantly oozed confidence and reasons to believe due to acumen of the tacticians coming on board.
Eight matchdays into the 2019-2020 Nigeria Professional Football League season, the story is a far cry from the heightened expectations that heralded the Promise Keepers into the campaign. Read more
Sanusi gets new five-year contract (Nation)
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has approved a fresh five-year contract for the General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, with effect from January 1, 2020.
In its communique issued at the end of its Executive Committee meeting held in Benin, Edo State on Tuesday, the NFF also gave a four-year contract (with the first year being probationary) to the Deputy General Secretary, Dr. Emmanuel Ikpeme, who is expected to work closely with Sanusi.
The Board also congratulated Messrs Ayobola Oyeyode and Lawrence Katken on being the first members of Staff in the history of the NFF to attain full directorship in the Federal Civil Service. Read more
Veteran athletics coach, Tobias Igwe passes on (Guardian)
One of Nigeria’s most famous athletics coaches, Tobias Igwe, also known as Toblow, is dead.
According to family members, Coach Igwe died yesterday from effects of a devastating stroke he suffered recently.
In a message made available to The Guardian, a member of the Igwe family, Daniel wrote: “Sad to announce the passing on of great coach Igwe also known as Toblow. He died after suffering from high blood pressure and partial stroke.”
Brugge put 30m Euros tag on Dennis Emmanuel (Nation)
To secure the services of Emmanuel Dennis in January, Premier League clubs Manchester United, Leicester City, Brighton and Southampton must part with 30 million Euros for the Club Brugge forward.
The English sides have all had scouts at the Jan Breydel Stadium this season to check Dennis, who recently extended his contract at Club Brugge until 2022.
Last summer, Club Brugge received 25 million Euros from Aston Villa for Brazilian striker Wesley and reports have now suggest they could make even more with the sale of the 22- year-old, who has been capped once by the Super Eagles. Read more
FIFA bans former Panama federation president for life (Vanguard)
World’s football ruling body FIFA on Thursday banned the former president of the Panamanian football federation, Ariel Alvarado, for life after finding him guilty of bribery.
FIFA also and fined him 500,000 Swiss francs (£390,821.19).
Alvarado was investigated in relation to matches organised by the Panamanian Football Association.
The investigation was also related to contracts for Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) media and marketing rights between 2009 and 2011. Read more
Where are former indigenous Eagles coaches? (Nation)
Getting sacked as a coach seems inevitable in the football world as past achievements are not considered when a gaffer is being relieved of his duties. With the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) sacking all the national team coaches (except Gernot Rohr) few weeks back, ADEYINKA ADEDIPE looks at past indigenous coaches of the national team and what they are up to now.
The job of football coaches is one of the most precarious in modern sporting history. One moment a coach is hailed to high heavens for his team’s remarkable achievements, the next instant, he is getting the boot for the unimpressive performances of the same team. In essence, while relishing the accolade for his team’s performance, he should be ready for any backlash (which includes being sacked) when his team performs poorly.
In fact, there is a general feeling that there are two categories of coaches – the ones that have just been sacked and the ones waiting to the sacked. To those who share this sentiment, the coaching job should not be considered a worthy vocation (despite the high fee the coaches receive) due to high risk nature of the job. Read more
AFN hails sports minister’s ‘Adopt an Athlete’ initiate (ThisDay)
The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) is delighted that the Youth and Sports Development Minister,Sunday Dare is at the front seat of Nigeria’s preparations for next year’s Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.
Acting president of the federation, Olamide George praised the Minister for his foresight in coming up with the adopt-an-athlete programme which was formally launched in Lagos on Monday.
“The Minister for Youth and Sports Development,Honourable Sunday Dare deserves all the accolades Nigerians have been pouring on him since the adopt-an-athlete programme was launched in Lagos on Monday. Read more