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Dangut named as new Head of National Office for WAEC

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The West African Examinations Council, WAEC has appointed Dr Amos Josiah Dangut as the Head of the Nigeria National Office. Prior to his appointment, he was the Deputy Registrar HNO’s Office.

He succeeds Patrick Ehidiamen Areghan,whose tenure ended October 1.

This was contained in a statement by Acting Head of Public Affairs, Moyosola Adesina.

Dangut was born on October 2, 1967, in Mbar District of Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State.

He attended Government Secondary School, Riyom (1981 to 1983) and Government Science School, Kuru (1983 to 1986), where he obtained his WASC/SC in 1986), both in Plateau State; from there, he proceeded to the University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Benue State, where he bagged Bachelor of Agriculture in Animal Production in 1991.

He got Master of Science in Animal Science in April 1994 at the University of Ibadan while he did his PhD in Animal Science in 2017 at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi.

He got another Master of Education (Administration and Planning) in 2020 from the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN).

Credit: Plateau Journal.

Nasarawa Gov. rejects tribunal judgement, appeals to supreme court

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Gov. Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa state has announced that he will appeal the majority decision of the Governorship Elections Petition Tribunal in Lafia, which nullified his declaration as the winner of the March 18 poll.

This was said by the governor on Monday in Lafia in response to the tribunal’s skewed decision.

He stated that the judgement was a temporary setback that they would use to rethink their strategy and emerge stronger.

“I still remain the governor till Supreme Court decides otherwise because the law allows me to appeal and we will do that to reclaim our mandate,” Sule stated.

The governor urged his followers to remain calm and refrain from taking the law into their own hands through street protests.

He warned APC youngsters and sympathisers not to reply to the opposition, especially on social media.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the tribunal invalidated the election of Gov. Sule of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and recognised Mr David Ombugadu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the genuine owner of the election in a split judgement.

The majority judgement was read out by the tribunal’s Chairman, Justice Ezekiel Ajayi, according to NAN.

Justice Chiemelie Onaga, a panel member, agreed with the panel chairman’s lead judgement.

Justice Ibrahim Mashi delivered the only dissenting opinion, dismissing the suit brought by the PDP candidate and upholding the INEC’s declaration of the governor.

Pastor, three others killed as Dunamis Church collapses In Benue

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The Pastor in charge of a Dunamis Church located at Mission Ward North Bank in Makurdi, Benue State, has been reportedly killed after the church building collapsed on Tuesday morning.

Three other people are said to have died in the incident when the building caved in as they were said to be observing prayers inside the church, while three other individuals managed to escape the wreckage.

Eyewitnesses say apart from the church building, other residential buildings and electricity infrastructure around the building were affected by the collapse.

Though the cause of the building collapse could not be immediately ascertained, residents say rescue operations have commenced as police operatives from the ‘C’ Division, North Bank, are already on the ground while emergency officials were on their way to the scene of the collapsed building.

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Catherine Anene, said she was not aware of the incident but was waiting for a report from the ‘C’ Division before she can make a comment.

Chike, Asake, Kizz Daniel unveiled as Glo ambassadors

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The three stars, described by Globacom as “role models who have gone through the grind to stand on the highest pedestal of their dreams”, signed agreement as Glo brand ambassadors at a colourful ceremony at the company’s corporate headquarters in Lagos.

They include Ahmed Ololade, globally known by his brand name, Ashake, is a graduate of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Osun State, while Oluwatobiloba Daniel Anidugbe, the Buga exponent, generally known as Kizz Daniel, has a degree in Water Engineering from the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State. The third new Glo ambassador, Chike as he is called by his fans, was born as Chike Ezekpeazu Osebuka. He is a graduate of Computer Engineering, from Covenant University, Ogun State.

The company, which marked its 20th anniversary in August stated that it “is celebrating this with the endorsement of these new ambassadors to project the power of youth and enterprise and how much they can achieve with the right focus, passion and dedication that can come from seeing others who have succeeded. This is very much part of our tradition as we believe the strength of a nation lies in the ability and potentials of its youth”.

It explained that the engagement of the new brand icons “is meant to project the best Nigerians as models for younger people who are tirelessly aspiring to succeed. This is more important in an era where positive heroes and mentors are scarce and hard to come by. The intention is not just to promote the growth of music, Nollywood and sports where we have been very prominent, but also to encourage our teeming youths to aspire toward realizing their dreams by looking up to these ambassadors as mentors”.

Globacom, which since inception has always sponsored major events and supported talented as well as enterprising young Nigerians by making them Glo ambassadors, explained that this innovation has become a practice for which Globacom has always led the way in Nigeria.

Congratulating them, Glo which stated that “having these stars as ambassadors of is our way of inspiring a whole generation of young people with vision who can do better and achieve more without losing hope along the way, even when confronted with challenges,” pledged to continue to promote the sector as it held great prospects to promote Nigeria to the world and also transforming lives.

On their part, the new ambassadors promised to represent the Glo brand by projecting the ideals of the company at all times. They thanked the founder and Chairman of Globacom, Dr Mike Adenuga Jr., for considering them worthy of being appointed as the company’s brand ambassadors.

Asa Asika confirms how many more videos to expect for songs off Davido’s ‘Timeless’ album

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Manager to Davido and Co-founder of The Plug, Asa Asika, has confirmed the number of videos fans should expect for songs off one of the biggest projects of 2023, Timeless, released by the 30 BG boss himself in March.

This announcement comes right after the release of the trailer for the music video of Feel, the second song that would be getting a music video off the fourth album from Davido after the release of the visuals for Unavailable.

The release of the video’s teaser and confirmation of the release date of the project had sparked numerous debates on social media, with many expressing their thoughts on how the concept of the video based on the teaser watched does not fit that of the song, with some calling out the award-winning music video director TG Omori for what they described as his over the top concept for music videos.

Asa Asika took to his social media platform today to further speak on the release of the project and also share with fans that they should expect five more videos to come from the Timeless album. The songs that would be getting music videos off the album are Kante, which features Fave; Na Money, which features The Cavemen and Angelique KidjoGodfather; and also Over Dem.

His post read, “Movies for Away, Kante, Na Money, No Competition and Godfather still coming! Michael Jackson level moviesssss”

The remarkable journey of BBN All-Stars winner, Ilebaye

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Ilebaye Odiniya, widely known as Ilebaye BBN, is a multifaceted Nigerian talent whose star has continued to rise.

Born in 2001 in Kogi State, Nigeria, she has made a name for herself as a criminologist, entrepreneur, fashion model, and reality TV star.

In 2022, Ilebaye burst onto the national scene when she became one of the contestants in the seventh season of Big Brother Naija, titled ‘Level Up.’ Her vivacious personality quickly endeared her to viewers, amassing a dedicated fanbase across West Africa. While many were rooting for her to secure the N100 million grand prize, it ultimately went to model Phyna. Nevertheless, Ilebaye’s charm and talent had left an indelible mark.

Her journey in the world of reality TV didn’t end there. In 2023, Ilebaye returned for the highly anticipated Big Brother Naija All-Stars Season 8. This time, she reached the prestigious top six finalists, alongside Cross, Adekunle, Mercy Eke, Pere, and Ceec. She emerged as the winner of the show and earned the 120 million naira cash prize on October 1, 2023. This accomplishment showcased her enduring appeal and resilience in the world of entertainment.

Ilebaye Odiniya’s roots trace back to Kogi State, but her current residence is in Lagos, Nigeria. She is the daughter of Hon. Emmanuel Godson Odiniya. Her father is a prominent Abuja-based politician. He formerly served as a Physical Health Education (PHE) teacher at Government Secondary School Alloma Ofu, Kogi State.

Ilebaye pursued her education at Salem University in Lokoja, where she earned a degree in criminology and security studies. Beyond her reality TV success, she has also ventured into entrepreneurship, adding to her diverse skill set. Her net worth stands at an impressive N6 million, thanks to her involvement in the BBNaija show and her clothing business.

At just 22 years old in 2023, Ilebaye Odiniya’s journey continues to captivate audiences and inspire aspiring talents across Nigeria and beyond.

Labour Unions call off indefinite strike by another 30 days

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Nigeria’s organized labour comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), have once again, suspended the nationwide indefinite strike that was scheduled to begin on Tuesday, October 3rd, by 30 days.

The leadership of the two unions who announced the suspension of the strike at the end of a marathon meeting with representatives the Federal Government’s in Abuja on Monday night, said the decision to suspend the indefinite strike which was aimed at protesting the hardship Nigerians are going through as a result of the removal of fuel subsidy by the federal government, was due to some agreements reached with the government.

The unions had also held a meeting with government on Sunday night and promised to present a fresh list of offers from the federal government to their various organs before taking a final position on the strike.

The Sunday meeting had seen the government resolving to waive the Value Added Tax (VAT) on diesel for six months as well as fast-track the introduction of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses to address the problem of transpiration arising from the removal of fuel subsidy, among other measures.

At the Monday night meeting, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, General Secretary, Emmanuel Ugboaja as well as the TUC President, Festus Osifo, and Secretary General, Nuhu Toro.

Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong, Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Dr. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha; and Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, appended the document on behalf of the federal government.

Announcing the outcome of the meeting, Lalong said:

“The NLC and TUC accept to suspend for 30 days the planned Indefinite Nationwide strike scheduled to begin, Tuesday, the 3rd of October, 2023.”

According to terms of the agreement, the government agreed to grant a wage award of N35,000 only to all federal government workers beginning from the month of September pending when a new national minimum wage is expected to have been signed into law.

Parts of agreement reads:

“The NLC and TUC accept to suspend for 30 days the planned Indefinite Nationwide strike scheduled to begin, Tuesday, the 3rd of October, 2023.

“The Federal Government grants a wage award of N35,000 (thirty-five thousand Naira) only to all Federal Government workers beginning from the month of September pending when a new national minimum wage is expected to have been signed into law.”

“A minimum wage committee shall be inaugurated within one month from the date of this agreement.

“Federal Government accepts to vote N100 billion for the provision of high capacity CNG buses for mass transit in Nigeria. Provisions are also being made for initial 55,000 CNG conversion kits to kick start an auto gas conversion programme, whilst work is ongoing on state-of-the-art CNG stations nationwide.”

“The rollout aims to commence by November with pilots across 10 campuses nationwide.”

“The Federal Government should urge state governments through the National Economic Council and Governors Forum to implement wage award for their workers.”

“Similar consideration should also be given to local government and private sector workers.  A joint visitation will be made to the refineries to ascertain their rehabilitation status.”

33 individuals lost their lives in 2 months following Plateau mining collapses

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Over the course of the last two months, 33 people have died in Plateau State as a result of mining sites that have collapsed in several towns.

This was revealed in an interview given by Pam Daniel, the secretary of the Plateau Indigenous Miners Association, Barkin Ladi LGA, on Sunday in Jos, during an event for artisanal miners and farmers that took place in the council area.

Daniel expressed concern over the regular collapse of mining sites in the Barkin Ladi settlements, adding that this condition posed a threat to people’s lives, particularly the lives of young people living in the council area.

In addition to pleading with the government to step in and stop the nasty trend, he called for increased public awareness of the issue.

The collapse of mining sites occasionally occurs in the Barkin Ladi settlements, according to Daniel, as mining has become an important source of income for the locals. In a Hwol Gassa settlement, a mining facility collapsed only a few weeks earlier in August.

“Seven persons were pulled out dead from the mining site while three persons were injured and taken to the hospital. We did not know how many persons were inside the mining site when it collapsed, a register was later opened in the community if there were any missing persons and a total of 33 persons were found to be missing. From that time till date, we have not seen those people because they were suspected to have been buried underneath the collapsed mining site. Because some of these things happen in rural communities, they are not reported but that is the situation we have found ourselves in.

The community leader said, “Due to mining, many youngsters in Barkin Ladi areas are no longer attending school. This is detrimental to the expansion and improvement of our civilization. And each year we learn that enormous sums of money have been budgeted for mining, but we artisanal miners don’t get any of it. We are requesting assistance from the government because of this. If they are unable to help us financially, they can help us by providing the equipment we need to reduce the risks associated with mining activities.

The goal of organising the stakeholder engagement, according to Daniel Mark, Team Lead for Plateau Youth Climate Justice and Accountability Initiative, and Opeyemi Osarumwense, Project Officer, was to identify the difficulties the mining community was facing and develop solutions.

The team leader stated, “As a company, we believe in advocating for solutions, and two of those solutions are climate justice and community-based sustainable mining methods. We want the attendees of this discussion to understand that mining does not simply end and the land is left to deteriorate without rehabilitation. Because mining destroys vegetation, tree planting regulations should be enforced to replace it. We are prepared to collaborate with the populace to protect lives are not only saved but that climate  justice is done in the mining community.”

Edward Gyang Bot, the paramount monarch of Barkin Ladi, commended the non-governmental group for staging the occasion in his people’s best interests.

The paramount ruler said, “I think our people will be happy when the right thing is done in our mining communities, and the society will be better for it.”

Plateau seeking Hajj pilgrims to pay N2 million by 2024

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The Plateau State Muslim Pilgrims Board has advised those planning to travel to Mecca in 2024 to be ready to pay a N2 million deposit.

The board added that the state has been given 1,345 Hajj tickets by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON).

In a statement issued by the board’s information officer, Alhaji Sanusi Namu, the acting executive secretary of the board, Hajiya Aishatu Ibrahim Saleh, made this disclosure.

“NAHCON has recently allocated 1,345 hajj slots to Plateau State and priority will be given to those who were unable to perform the last hajj in 2023 due to NAHCON’s limited slots,” the statement said.

“All intending pilgrims are therefore encouraged to book for their slot on time as all pilgrims will be treated on a first come first serve basis”

The announcement also recommended people who had deposits with the board but had not made the hajj in 2023 to visit the board in order to obtain bank tellers in order to top up their accounts.

Acting Executive Secretary expressed his gratitude to Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang for his support of the board in this forum and hinted that this administration is determined to doing everything possible to improve the 2024 hajj.

CJN to Swear In 23 Federal High Court Judges On Wednesday

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On Wednesday, October 4, 2023, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, Chief Justice of the Federation, will take 23 new Federal High Court judges under his oath of office.

The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) will swear in the judges in the Supreme Court of Nigeria’s main courtroom in Abuja at 11 a.m., according to a statement by the court’s director of press and information, Dr. Festus Akande.

The new Judges are: Dipeolu Deinde Isaac from Ogun State; Ogundare Kehinde Olayiwola from Ekiti State; Agbaje Olufunmilola Adetutu from Lagos State; Musa Kakaki from Kaduna State; Abdullahi Muhammad Dan-Ige from Sokoto State; and Sharon Tanko Ishaya from Kebbi State.

Others are Salim Olasupo Ibrahim from Ogun State; Yilwa Hauwa Joseph from Gombe State; Wigwe-Oreh Chituru Joy from Rivers State; Owoeye Alexander Oluseyi from Kogi State; Anyalewa Onoja-Alapa from Benue State; Amina Aliyu Mohammad from Katsina State; Abiodun Jordan Adeyemi from Kwara State; Hauwa Buhari from Federal Capital Territory; and Aishatu Auta Ibrahim from Borno State.

The rest are Hussaini Dadan-Garba from Bauchi State; Ibrahim Ahmad Kala from Gombe State; Mashkur Salisu from Zamfara State; Onah Chigozie Sergius from Enugu State; Egbe Raphael Joshua from Bayelsa State; Ariwoola Olukayode Jnr. from Oyo State; Ekerete Udofot Akpan from Akwa Ibom State; and Ogazi Friday Nkemakonam from Ebonyi State.

Also, a valedictory Court session would be held on Tuesday, October 10, 2023, in honour of the late Justice Chima Centus Nweze at the Main Courtroom of the Supreme Court at 10am.