One thousand five hundred and sixty six primary schools in Ogun State are to participate in the second edition of the primary school’s Governor’s cup.
The Chairman of the Ogun State Universal Basic Education Board, Dr. Femi Majekodunmi while flagging off activities for the commencement of the tournament in Abeokuta, urged the schools to respect the decisions of the organisers during the tournament.
The chairman of the Ogun SUBEB called on the schools appreciate the experience they are to gain and imbibe the sportsmanship spirit expected of such competition.
According to Dr. Majekodunmi the ten day tournament would start on twenty-ninth of this month with various rewards for the participating pupils and officials.
Earlier, the Director, Academic and School Service of Ogun SUBEB, Mrs Jokotade Agbatiobu, said the event was another opportunity to positively engage the school children and an opportunity identify and raise future stars in the sport sector.
Mrs Agbatiobu urged the schools to relish their participation and to desist from a winning-at-all-cost attitude.
The highlight of the flag-off was the presentation of jerseys to the twenty local government education secretaries.
National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, has been identified as a unifying scheme which has promote the unity of Nigeria.
The Director, NYSC Southwest Area Office, Mrs. Olufunmilayo Akin-Moses stated this at the Unity Trek to mark the 48 years anniversary of NYSC in Oshogbo, Osun State.
Mrs. Akin-Moses noted that NYSC has made many youths learn about the different cultures in Nigeria, thereby respecting other people’s culture and living in harmony with them.
She advised those agitating for the scrapping of NYSC to have a rethink as the youths mainly graduates who served under the scheme have gained a lot from the skills acquisition and other programmes of the scheme.
Earlier, the NYSC State Coordinator, Mr. Ayodele Adegoke had explained that the Unity Trek was to symbolise the Unity of Nigeria which was the aim of the founding fathers of NYSC.
Each platoon of Corps members carried the Torch of Unity while jogging round the camp carrying various placards with inscriptions like, “Shun acts that divides us”, “NYSC is for the unity of Nigeria”, “United we stand, divided we fall”, “Shun Ethnic and Religion Politics” amongst others.
It will be recalled that the scheme was established on May 23, 1973 by the then Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon.
The Executive Secretary, National Institute for Cultural Orientation, NICO, Mr Ado Muhammed Yahuza says the zonal intervention fund of the institute has assisted in promoting culture consciousness and creativity in secondary school students nationwide.
The Executive Secretary made this known at the opening ceremony of a two day conference on culture, zonal intervention projects and national development in Akure.
Represented by the Director, NICO Lagos Office, Mr Ohi Ojo, Mr Yahuza said these measures had also assisted youths in taking enormous advantages and potentials of the cultural industries for employment generation.
He commended the federal government for initiating and sustaining the fund over the years stressing the need to give priority to mother’s tongue and sustain the Yoruba cultural heritage.
In his address, the Ondo State Commissioner for Culture, Mr Yemi Olowolaju said the ministry would continue to discharge its statutory responsibility of harnessing the rich cultural heritage of the state for national development.
Goodwill messages were received from public and private agencies that commended the role of NICO in boosting the nation’s cultural heritage.
Osun State government has sealed off about four private schools in Ife-North Local Government Area for not meeting up to the standard set for the operation of private schools in the state.
The exercise was carried out through the Quality Assurance Department of the Ministry of Education for various offences ranging from unconducive environment for learning, non-approval of operational license for school and noncompliance with Covid-19 Protocols.
The quality assurance department of the Ministry of Education is a department set up to ensure that no illegal School is being run in the state, and ensure that all schools keep to the guidelines of running a standard school.
The Director, Quality Assurance Department, Miss Adetutu Olulande who spoke on behalf of the Commissioner for Education, Mr Folorunsho Bamisayemi said it was no longer business as usual for substandard schools.
She emphasized that the schools sealed would not re-opened under any circumstances except they meet up with the standard given by the Osun State Ministry of Education. Adenitan Akinola
Secondary schools in the country are to reopen as from the 4th of August, 2020 for exit classes only.
Students will have two weeks within which to prepare for the West African Examinations Council, WAEC, due to start on the 17th of August, 2020.
These were the unanimous decisions reached today at a virtual consultative meeting between the Federal Ministry of Education, Commissioners of Education of the 36 states, the Nigerian Union of Teachers, (NUT), the proprietors of private schools, and Chief Executives of examination bodies.
A statement by the Director, Press and Public Relations of the Federal Ministry of Education, Mr Ben Bem Goong says meeting agreed that the exit classes should resume immediately after the Sallah break, from the 4th of August, 2020 to enable them to prepare for the WAEC examinations scheduled to commence from the 17th of August, 2020.
According to the statement, the meeting also resolved that a passionate appeal be made to the Federal Government through the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 and public-spirited Nigerians for assistance to schools across the country to enable them fast-track the preparations safe reopening, as agreed.
The statement notes that another meeting is to be convened on Tuesday between the Federal Ministry of Education and Chief Executives of examination bodies namely, NECO, NABTEB and NBAIS to harmonise their examination dates, which will be conveyed to stakeholders expeditiously by the Federal Ministry of Education.
Five members of a family in Kaura community, near Gwagwalada in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, have died in last weekend flood that ravaged the area.
This was made known during an assessment tour of communities affected by the flood, by a combined team of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, and the FCT Emergency Management Agency.
Some of the houses damaged by the flood
The downpour over the weekend which lasted for many hours, beginning by 3 am on Saturday and subsiding around 11 am, pulled down houses, submerged some, destroyed other property as well as displaced people.
Those affected are settlers on the riverbank in Gwagwalada, the first port of call of the response team where two of the victims, Joyce Okoroafor and Geoffrey Okere narrated their experience while calling for relief.
The victims were seen spreading their affected households to dry while the damaged property littered the areas.
Some of the household goods affected by the flood
From the looks on their faces, one could feel their plight as people in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.
According to some of them, they have stayed in the area for about 20 years without witnessing such flood.
At Kaura Community, near Giri Junction, few kilometres away from Gwagwalada, the devastation by the flood was equally massive.
According to the residents, portions of the Zuba-Gwagwalada expressway around the area was submerged.
Road dividers were seen washed away, while electricity poles and buildings were destroyed.
This is where a community leader, Bako Nagzhaga said the flood killed five people.
His position was confirmed by the Deputy Director, Forecasting, Response and Mitigation, FCT Emergency Management Agency, Mrs. Florence Wenegieme.
Mrs Wenegieme said a mother and her four children died in the flood and so far, only the body of a child was found but efforts were on to recover the remaining bodies.
The Director, Planning, Research and Forecasting, National Emergency Management Agency, Mr Kayode Fagbemi renewed the call for those living in flood-prone areas to relocate to safer grounds.
Mr. Fagbemi assured the people of relief materials to cushion the effects of the flood disaster.
It was also discovered that the affected areas lacked proper drainage system and the available few were blocked.
This is one campaign NEMA has sustained, appealing to the people to clear the drainages and avoid building structures on waterways for free flow of water.
Effective journalism is a veritable tool to achieving desired development in any society.
The immediate past Director, New Media, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, FRCN Ibadan Zonal Station, Pastor Dare Olorunfemi made this assertion while featuring on Straight Talk, an interview programme on Premier 93.5 FM.
Pastor Olorunfemi advised journalists to use the profession to advance the course of the society and humanity.
Pastor Olorunfemi, who was the immediate past Head of News and Current Affairs Division, Ibadan, expressed no regret during his thirty years sojourn in the service Radio Nigeria.
The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, says the Apex bank will not lend
money to any individual or organization without a proper book keeping method to
reflect financial records.
The Director, Corporate Affairs of the CBN, Mr. Isaac Okorafor, stated
this at a fair held in Asaba the Delta State capital with the theme: Promoting
Financial Sustainability and Economic Development.
Radio Nigeria correspondent, Oghenero Eghweree completes the report.
The draw for the 2020 edition of Egba Youth Football Competition has been held in Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital with a call on stakeholders to join hands with the government to develop sports at the grassroots.
The draw which was held at the Alake Sports Centre, Ijeja, Abeokuta attracted sports administrators, coaches, and Veteran journalists.
Some of the stakeholders at the event
Results of the draw
The Egba Youth football Competition is an initiative of a member of the Ogun State Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, SWAN, designed to promote unity and peaceful coexistence in various communities in the state.
The initiator of the championship,
Mr. Alexander Soyinka explained the competition was borne of the need to
empower youths through sports.
Mr. Soyinka said arrangements had been
concluded to ensure a hitch-free championship.
Also, the Director, Admin, and Supply, Ministry of Youths and Sports, Alhaji Adetunji Kanimodo who described the championship as laudable said the development of the sports sector remained key in the cardinal point of the present administration.
Alhaji Kadimodo appealed to the participating teams to abide by the rule of fairness throughout the championship.
Other speakers at the draw including Chief Lai Labode, Mr. Olasunkanmi Odunaiya, and Mr. Wasiu Mustapha said there was the need for more grassroots competitions to complement the efforts of government in the discovery of talents for the country
The representative of the Apostolic Church Football Team, Mr. Joseph Ayunke noted that sports especially football was important to develop the youths and preach the gospel.
Mr. Joseph said the Egba Youth competition would go a long way to engender love, peace, and unity in the communities.
Twenty four teams were drawn into six groups with the opening game scheduled to kick off on the 6th March 2020.
Oyo state government
is set to clamp down on illegal veterinary operators in the state.
This was stated by
the Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Jacob Ojemiyuwa at a stakeholders meeting
held at the Oyo State Veterinary Hospital Complex, Mokola, Ibadan.
Represented by the Director, Rural Community Development Centre, Ministry Of Agriculture, Mrs. Mary Ojutalayo, the commissioner noted that private veterinary operators have been given adequate time to register with the ministry for proper regulation.
Mr. Ojemiyuwa
stressed that the state is taking the step to safeguard the lives of people of
the state.
In a remark, Chairman, Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association, NVMA, Oyo state, Mr. Dayo Adejuyigbe lauded the initiative of the government in stamping out quackery in veterinary practice in the state.
Mr. Adejuyigbe
called on the stakeholders to support the government in sanitizing veterinary
practice.
