Only 38.5% Passed 2016 WASSCE– WAEC

The West African Examination Council (WAEC) has announced the release of the 2016 West African Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for private candidates, with only 38.5 per cent meeting the requirement of five credits, including English Language and Mathematics.

The Head of WAEC National Office, Olu Adenipekun announced the release of the results in Lagos yesterday.

According to Adenipekun, the results of the candidates were a remarkable improvement compared to similar results released for the 2014 and 2015 examinations whereby 29.37 per cent and 20.59 per cent obtained five credits, including English Language and Mathematics respectively.

A total number of 66,497 candidates, representing 38.50% who sat for the WASSCE for private candidates, obtained credits in five subjects and above, including English Language and mathematics.

Speaking at a press conference, Adenipekun stated that the performance of candidates who sat for the examination this year is far better than last year.

He disclosed that in 2014, 29.37% of candidates who sat for the examination obtained credits in 5 subjects and above while in 2015, 20.59% of candidates obtained credits in 5 subjects and above.

According to him, a total of 176,621 candidates registered for the examination this year, while a total of 172,699 candidates sat for the examination.

He disclosed however that the results of 13,488 candidates, representing 7.81% of the total candidates for the examination are being withheld in connection with various cases of examination malpractice.

He further disclosed that cases of examination malpractice were being investigated and the reports of the investigations will be presented to the appropriate committee of the council in due course for consideration.

He however pointed out that should the candidates be found guilty, their results will be withheld.

He also disclosed that 19 visually challenged candidates registered for and sat the examination in Nigeria, out of which four candidates, representing 21.05% obtained credits in 5 subjects, including English language and mathematics.

While expressing gratitude to the supervisors, invigilators, custodians and other personnel for their dedication to duty during the conduct of the examination, he informed that the results will be released to candidates within the next 24 hours.

Credit:

http://leadership.ng/news/564250/38-5-passes-2016-wassce-waec-2

Only Two Nigerians Win 2016 National Merit Award

Only two Nigerians would be conferred with the Nigerian National Order of Merit (NNOM) this year, the Chairman Governing Board of the Nigerian National Merit Award (NNMA) Prof. Etim Moses Essien has said.

He told reporters on Thursday in Abuja that the award which is a separate Order of Dignity is in four categories of science, medicine, engineering/technology; and humanities including arts and culture.

He said the two recipients Prof. Sadik A. Omowunmi and Prof. Tanure Ojaide won in science and humanities respectively bringing the total of awardees to 73.

While Omowunmi A. Sadik is a Professor of Bioanalytical and Environmental Chemistry and inventor working at the Binghamton University New York United States, Prof. Tanure Ojaide is a prolific poet and writer.  Both are multiple international award winners.

While 71 recipients were awarded since 1979 when it was instituted, there was no award in 2015 due to the non-constitution of the governing board of the NNMA by the federal government.

“One of the unacceptable activities of various Nigerian scholars had been the tendency to concentrate their researches on problems and issues that might not have been relevant to the needs and aspirations of the country, except mainly those of a political nature and whose essential criteria and consideration were politically driven.

“As prescribed in the law governing the NNMA, the investiture will be performed by President Muhammadu Buhari next Thursday 1st December 2016, as the first Thursday of every December is stipulated for the investiture, at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa at Mr. President’s pleasure,” Essien said.

He said that each recipient would be given N10m each apart from other paraphernalia of the award and that recipients after their investiture can append NNOM after their names.

He said the names of the awardees were submitted to the President on September 1 as stipulated by law after the painstaking process of the assessment committee who recommended the recipients.

He said that this year’s NNOM Laurette forum themed “Mono-Economy, Diversification, Exchange Rate Stability and the Development of the Nigerian Nation” would hold next Tuesday and would be followed by the NNOM Laurette Award Winners’ Lecture instituted in 2007.

The lecture would be delivered by a 2013 Laurette Prof. Hilary Inyang Inyang titled “Configuration of Policy and Technical System for Improvement of Nigeria’s Environmental Security”

Credit: dailytrust

Only Jonathan Deserves Credit For Conceding Defeat – Gov Dickson

Bayelsa State governor, Hon.  Seriake Dickson, yesterday, said only former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan should take the credit for conceding defeat in the 2015 presidential election.

Governor Seriake Dickson, who was reacting to the conferment of the joint award of ‘Person of the Year 2015’ on the former president by the LEADERSHIP Newspapers, in a statement by his chief press secretary, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, said though the award was well-deserved of the former President, the singular action put him miles apart from other leaders, within the African continent and beyond.

He also used the opportunity to call on Nigerians at home and in the diaspora to always accord Jonathan the respect and honour of a true statesman that he is, while also calling on him to always stand up and show leadership.

Governor Dickson also commended LEADERSHIP Newspaper for the honour done Dr. Jonathan and described the former President, as a distinguished statesman of inestimable quality.

The governor noted that democrats all over the world would continue to appreciate him for his exceptional display of sportsmanship in the 2015 election as an incumbent president.

Dickson believes that the action taken by Jonathan saved thousands of lives that would have been lost and kept the unity of Nigeria intact, particularly against the backdrop of predictions of the nation’s disintegration.

Credit:

http://leadership.ng/news/553563/only-jonathan-deserves-credit-for-conceding-defeat-gov-dickson

My Husband Deceived My Parents, Paid Only N600 As My Bride Price

A trader, Margaret Agwu, on Wednesday told an Igando Customary Court, Lagos, that her husband, Onu, deceived her and her parents and paid just N600 as her bride price when she was still 12 years old.

She also said that sometimes he strips her naked and beats her to pulp.

Margret, who made this known when she testified in a divorce proceedings against Onu, told the court that her husband had turned her into a punching bag.“He once punched me in my stomach and I lost my first pregnancy after a fight.

I have lived every minute of my life in fear but I cannot go back to my parents because of the bride price,” she said. Margaret, 45, had urged the court to annul her 33-year-old marriage citing husband’s duplicity.

“When I was 12 years old, my husband came to my village to ask for my hand in marriage with a promise to my parents that he would send me to school.

“He also lied to my parents that he is a businessman that he owned a provision store and that he lived in a flat. “My parents told him that they cannot release me for marriage because I was too young and besides I was still schooling.

“Onu told my parents that he will send me to school after the marriage, my parent agreed and he paid the bride price,” she said.

Margaret regretted that on getting to the city, she discovered that her husband was not what he made her and her parents believe he was.

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http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/09/husband-deceived-parents-paid-n600-bride-price/

I Will Only Drive Nigerian Made Cars– Minister

The Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, on Monday declared that as soon as the Federal Government starts implementing the budget, he will only ride in cars manufactured in Nigeria.

He also stated that all 17 agencies under the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology will be directed to patronise Nigerian made cars, adding that the move was to promote the use of locally produced goods.

Onu, who disclosed this while hosting a delegation from Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company Limited at the headquarters of the ministry in Abuja, further noted that vehicles manufactured in Nigeria had 60 per cent local content.

He said, “Through Innoson we can now see vehicles that are manufactured in Nigeria with 60 per cent local input. This is a great feat and we will corporate and collaborate with you and will lead the very urgent need in Nigeria to patronise Nigerian made goods. The Federal Ministry of Science and Technology will do it by example.

“We are just waiting for the budget to be out. But I will like to make this known to our country that as soon as the budget is out, the minister of science and technology will only drive in cars made in Nigeria and this include vehicles in the Ministry of Science and Technology. Also, all our 17 agencies will be directed to patronise made in Nigeria vehicles.

“We believe that leadership by example is the best form of leadership and this ministry will carry this beyond here. This will ensure that we find value in the things that we produce. There is no other way that Nigeria can become a great nation except when we as Nigerians patronise goods made in Nigeria.”

He assured the delegation that the government would support local manufacturers by clearing the challenges faced by operators in the manufacturing sector, adding that this would create wealth for Nigeria.

Credit: Punch

Why Facebook Activated Its Safety Check Feature For Only Paris Attack

Safety Check isn’t a new feature for Facebook. In fact, Mark Zuckerberg introduced it to the social platform over a year ago. However, it wasn’t until the Paris attacks on Friday night that many started noticing an unfamiliar notification confirming the safety status of their friends located in the area: “[Friend’s Name] was marked safe during Paris Terror Attacks.”

The tool allows users to check in on friends during a disaster or crisis. Facebook describes it as “a simple and easy way to say you’re safe and check on others.” Which was a welcome relief for those with friends and loved ones in or around Paris during the tragic attacks that took at least 129 lives and left 352 injured. According to The Huffington Post, as of last night 4.1 million people had checked in as safe using the feature in the 24 hours since it launched.

Credit: Cosmopolitan

Why Buhari Wants To Probe Only Jonathan- Oyegun

National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun does not hesitate in baring his mind on happenings within the polity, his party and opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). In a chat with select journalists, Odigie did exactly that as he shared his thoughts on a number of touchy issues in the polity. Excerpts:

Your party, last week resolved the seeming intractable crisis rocking the APC caucus in the House of Reps, how did you achieve that?

We are glad that the mis­understanding in the House of Representatives has been amicably resolved; thanks to the intervention of Mr. President who once again made it quite clear with everybody, that there is no alternative but to listen to what the party says.

He emphasised the fact that all of us were what we were and what we are, thanks to the platform that the party provided for everybody.

I think his message resonated very intensively with all the members of the House. Yet, he did not interfere. I want to make that very clear. His parting words to us was that the presiding lead­ership of the House and the party should go and resolve whatever issues there are that were militat­ing against the resolution of the problem. And that exactly is what happened.

When we were leaving there, the press was very anxious to hear that A, B and C have been appointed to whatever positions but that is not what happened. I promised that within a few hours, it would be resolved. Precisely, I said that by the next morning, the nation will be glad knowing that this issue would have been resolved and put behind us.

We left there and went a few hours later into consultations and discussions with the presiding officers of the House of Rep­resentatives. Let me take this opportunity to pay tribute to their maturity, to their sense of re­sponsibility. I pay tribute to their loyalty to the party and above all, tribute to their sense of general good, meaning the patriotism displayed by the Speaker and his Deputy.

It did not take long, necessary concessions that had to be made were made. The very next day, I think you all witnessed the general jubilation that greeted the final resolution of what was proven to be an intractable prob­lem. One behind us, one to go. Everybody has ended up being happy with the solution that was proffered to the problem of party position primarily being upheld.

But some members ap­pear to have been cheat­ed in the way the matter was resolved. Are you not concerned that the South East could not get anything in the sharing arrangement adopted by the party?

The sharing process is not over. I want everybody to get that very clear. In the House of Rep­resentatives, it is not yet over, all the zones yet to get anything will be taken into consideration when other positions in the House are being distributed, I have no doubt.

Read More: sunnewsonline