2019 Elections: Emir of Kano, Int'l Observers to Speak on Credible Polls at Murtala Muhammed Lectures

Ahead of Nigeria's elections on Saturday, February 16, the Murtala Muhammed Foundation (MMF) has disclosed that its 2019 Annual Lecture, would feature keynote addresses on credible and fair elections.

The annual lecture in memory of the former Head of State, Late General Murtala Muhammed, is scheduled to hold on Thursday, February 14, 2019 in Abuja with the duo of Prof. Chidi Odinkalu and Ms. Ayo Obe speaking on the theme: “Towards Credible, Peaceful and Participatory Elections: Moving Nigeria’s Democracy Forward”.

Chief Executive Officer of MMF, Mrs Aisha Muhammed-Oyebode, in a statement, said the Emir of Kano, His HRH Muhammadu Sanusi II, will also present goodwill remarks at the event. 

Muhammed-Oyebode added that there would also be goodwill messages from representatives of key observer missions to Nigeria including: Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas, the Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS);  H.E Dr. Jakaya Kikwete, President of Tanzania (2005-2015) and Head of African Union Election Observer Team to Nigeria.

Others are H.E Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of the Republic of Liberia (2006-2018) and Chairperson of the Authority of Heads of States and Governments of ECOWAS; and H.E Festus Mogae, former President of the Republic of Botswana and the Head of Joint IRI/NDI IEO Mission to Nigeria.

"The gathering would be an opportunity to honour the memory of General Muhammed who on assumption of office in 1975 immediately instituted a Transition to Civil Rule programme which his successor in office, General Obasanjo followed through to fruition on October 1, 1979.

“The lecture series is a part of the MMF’s Good Governance and Policy Compliance Programme, which has since 1991 been established as a credible non-partisan platform for expert analysis and generation of recommendations on issues of national importance in Nigeria and the African continent," she said 

She further urged interested members of the public to register on the website http://mmfnigeria.org/2019mmflecture/ to attend the one-day event holding in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Obe, a legal practitioner, is a former President of the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) and also headed the Elections Program of the National Democratic Institute’s Nigeria office in Abuja. 

She is a member of several boards and projects and chairs the Board of Trustees of the Goree Institute (Senegal), serves as a Trustee of the Brussels-based International Crisis Group and sits on the board of the Dakar-based Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA). 

Odinkalu on his part, is a human rights activist, lawyer, professor and writer and was the former Chairman of Nigeria's National Human Rights Commission and currently the senior team manager for the Africa Program of Open Society Justice Initiative.

TETFUND, Fulbright US to Seal Deal on Scholarship Programme

The Tertiary Education Trust Fund(TETFUND) has sealed a deal with the American government to strengthen its scholarship programme for academic staff of tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

Parties to the deal are expected to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)  anytime soon, a source at the agency has disclosed to our reporter in Abuja.

Recall that  the Fulbright Programme is sponsored by the United States Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, under world-wide policy guidelines established by the Fulbright Board.

Under the new agreement, academic staff of Nigerian universities would enjoy support from both the TETFund and US Government to undertake their Masters and PhD programmes in the US at a cost to be shared.

Beyond this, TETFund scholars who are undertaking their PhD’s in science-related fields in Nigeria could also benefit by being jointly sponsored by the Fund and the US Government to undertake their Benchwork in Universities and Research Centers or Institutes in the United States.

The partnership is an initiative of the Executive Secretary, Prof. Suleiman Elias Bogoro, following his reappointed by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The information came to the fore, when the Cultural Affairs Officer of the United States in Nigeria, Mr. Sterling Tiller paid a courtesy visit on the intervention agency.

Tilley who was accompanied to the Fund by Miss Bella Anne Ndubuisi, the Cultural Affairs Specialist of the Embassy, noted that they decided on the visit to strengthen the already existing relationship between the United States Embassy and the Fund through partnership aimed at building capacity of Academics in Nigerian Universities.

According to Tilley, the process which was started in 2015 prior to the exit of Bogoro as Executive Secretary needed to be reinvigorated  to justify the confidence the US Government has on the Fund as one of the foremost Agencies of Government in Nigeria.

An elated Bogoro described the visit and reintroduction of the programme as apt, adding that it would increase the number of participants seeking to further their studies at the Masters and PhD levels as well as those desirous of undertaking their Bench work in America’s Universities or Research Institutes/Centers.

He noted that the Fund would leverage on the scheme to expand its scholarship programme to accommodate the increasing number of Academic staff yearning for opportunities for further studies.

His words, "l assure you of readiness of the Fund for such partnership and we would facilitate arrangements to ensure it is concretized within the shortest possible time.

"It is my belief that the US Government wants to partner with TETFund through its Fulbright Programme because of the credible Scholarship Programme the Fund runs.

"We are aware that scholars on this partnership will enjoy the full status of both TETFund and Fulbright Scholars and other opportunities available after the completion of their programmes".

NECO Releases 2018 Nov/ Dec Exam results, laments surge in malpractice

By Chika Onyesi

The National Examination Council (NECO) says there is an upward trend in examination malpractice among candidates who sat for the 2018 November December Senior School Certificate examinatio.

According to a statement signed by the acting registrar of NECO, Abubakar Mohammed Gana, out of the 59, 963 who took the examination in 2018, about 12,084 were involved in examination malpractice.

The exam body laments that the number is a sad increase from the 4,425 candidates captured committing malpractice in the same examination in 2017.

The figures are part of data shared by the exam body while announcing the release of the 2018 Nov/Dec NECO exam results.

  ‘‘The surge in malpractice reflects the desperation of candidates seeking to cut corners in examinations and the determination by the council to apprehend the culprits in line with our zero tolerance for malpractice’’ Abubakar Gana says.

Despite the surge in malpractice, the exam body also confirms an increase by 5.69% in the number of students who legitimately scored five credits and above in the NECO exams.

‘‘A comparative analysis of candidates who scored five credits and above, including English language and Mathematics for 2017 and 2018 shows 56.79% for 2017 and 62.48% for 2018’’

According to the NECO data; a total of 59, 963 candidates registered for the exam while the students were tested on a total of 28 subjects.

A total of 57, 842 sat for English language out of which 44, 497 representing 76.93% got either distinction or credit.

Also a total of 57, 275 sat for Mathematics, out of which 47,151 representing 82. 32% got either distinction or Credit.

While 37,069 candidates representing 62.48% got five credits and above including English language and Mathematics, another 47,031 candidates representing 79.27 got five credits and above irrespective of English and Mathematics.

The exam body has however advised candidates to log on onto www.neco.gov.ng, click on NECO results, follow the prompts to purchase a token that can be used to access their results.

 

NCDC releases current status of Lassa fever outbreak in Nigeria

In the reporting Week 04 (January 21 - 27, 2019) seventy-seven new confirmed cases were reported from Edo(24), Ondo(28), Ebonyi(5), Bauchi(3), Plateau(5), Taraba(3), Gombe(1), Kaduna(1), Kwara(1), FCT(1), Benue(2), Rivers(1) Kogi(1) and Enugu(1) States with eleven new deaths in Edo(4), Ondo(2), Benue(1), Rivers(1) Plateau(2) Taraba(1) and Bauchi(1).

From 1st to 27th January 2019, a total of 538 suspected cases have been reported from 16 States. Of these, 213 were confirmed positive, 2 probable and 325 negative (not a case).

Since the onset of the 2019 outbreak, there have been 42 deaths in confirmed cases. Case fatality rate in confirmed cases is 19.7%.

Sixteen States (Edo, Ondo, Bauchi, Nasarawa, Ebonyi, Plateau, Taraba, FCT, Adamawa and Gombe, Kaduna, Kwara, Benue, Rivers Kogi and Enugu) have recorded at least one confirmed case across 40 Local Government Areas.

In the reporting week 04, one new healthcare worker was affected in Enugu State- contact of an Adamawa confirmed case. A total four health care workers have been affected since the onset of the outbreak in two States – Ondo (2), Ebonyi (1) and Enugu(1) with no death 

One hundred and two patients are currently being managed at Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital (ISTH) treatment Centre (34), Federal Medical Centre Owo (40), Bauchi (5), Plateau(8), Taraba(3) Ebonyi(6) and Others(6) States.

A total of 2070 contacts have been identified from eight states. Of these 1673(80.8%) are currently being followed up, 361(17.4%) have completed 21 days follow up. 23(1.1%) symptomatic contacts have been identified, of which 13 (0.6%) have tested positive from three states (Edo -2, Ebonyi-5 and Plateau-6 ).

Multi sectoral one health national rapid response team (NFELTP residents, Federal Ministry of Agricultural and Federal Ministry of Environment) deployed to Ondo, Edo, Ebonyi and Plateau/Bauchi

National Lassa fever multi-partner, multi-sectoral Emergency Operations Centre(EOC) continues to coordinate the response activities at all levels.

Joint health sector unions to protest alleged tyranny against health workers in Nigeria

By Chika Onyesi

The Joint Health Sector unions have resolved to stage a national rally in Abuja to draw attention to alleged tyranny of the federal government against health workers in all health facilities across the country.

The rally slated to hold on the 4^th of February 2019 will draw JOHESU branch representatives from federal health institutions and state secretariats of JOHESU member unions.

In a statement signed by the health workers union leadership, the decision to rally follows careful consideration of its January 31^st ultimatum to the federal government to meet some its demands.

The union’s grievance include; unjustified withholding of salaries of JOHESU members for April and May 2018, Non adjustment of CONHESS salary structure, headship of hospital departments, implementation of  consultancy cadre for its members and punitive action against its members in FMC Owerri and JUTH.

According to JOHESU, the national rally will be held in collaboration with the Trade Union Congress, TUC and The Nigerian Labour Congress NLC