Row over Jonathan Ph.D thesis deepens

Port Harcourt - Despite claims by the authorities of the University of Port Harcourt that President Goodluck Jonathan obtained his doctorate degree from the school, the university is not ready to provide information about the location of President Jonathan’s thesis, reports NewsDay.

Several attempts to persuade the university to make available Jonathan’s Ph.D thesis have proved abortive.

Efforts to also locate the thesis in either the school’s library or the Zoology department were also unsuccessful.

Since the story of Jonathan not possessing a doctorate degree became a public knowledge, many Nigerian have besieged the university in search of the thesis.  

Prof. Tam David- West, a former Minister of Petroleum Resources is one of those who have requested to see the thesis but has been unable to lay his hands on it.

Read more at NewsDay.

Two artisans die in septic tank in Ibadan

2015-02-05 12:38
Ibadan - Two artisans, a bricklayer and vulcaniser, on Wednesday lost their lives in the process of evacuating a septic tank at Oremeji area, Mokola, Ibadan.

The two men fell into the septic tank and died before help could get to them.

An eye witness, Akamo Oladimeji, who identified the victims as Wasiu and Solomon respectively, said that they were invited by the residents of the house to evacuate their septic tank.

Oladimeji said one of the deceased was trying to pour some chemicals into the soak-away before evacuation when he fell inside.

"While trying to rescue him, the second man fell inside as well.
"There was a third person with them but he escaped death because he had gone in search of a pumping machine they needed for the evacuation.”

Oladimeji said that the victims were not experts in evacuating septic tanks, but they decided to do the job to earn extra money.

DSP Adekunle Ajisebutu, Police spokesperson, Oyo state Police command, who confirmed the incident, said that policemen were immediately dispatched to the scene of the incident when it was reported.

- NAN

Civil groups alert on plot to remove Jega

Abuja - A Coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) has alleged plots by government to sack the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, reports The Nation.

The group also raised an alarm over plans to to have the elections shifted.

The plot according to the group is to declare INEC unfit to manage the elections, thereby leading to its postponement.

Saudatu Mahdi, who spoke on behalf of other members of the group, said those pushing for the postponement want to use the alleged lapse in the distribution of the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) as the reason why the elections should be shifted.

Read more at The Nation.

Buhari set to correct the wrongs of ruling party

Lagos- Director General of of Ibrahim Gaidam Campaign Organization, Yakubu Sidi Karasuwa, has stated the reasons why Muhammadu Buhari is running for president , reports Naij.

Karasuwa said Buhari’s desire to rule, is not so he can fill up his pockets with the state’s money. According to the director, he stated that Buhari wants to rule in order to correct the wrongs of the ruling party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

He went on to say that no retired general of the country is humble as Buhari, as he had opportunities in the army to steal from the public office, and he did not, to show that, the candidate is committed to correcting the issues of the country.

The APC member concluded that the PDP will not succeed in postponing the general elections on the 14th.

Read More at Naij.

Jonathan splits Nigerian Pastors

Lagos - Christian leaders in Nigeria are divided over the re-election bid of President Goodluck Jonathan, reports Sahara Reporters.

On one side are those clamouring for the return of Jonathan, on the other side are those who believed that President Jonathan has not done enough to deserve a second term.

The division among the Christian leaders played out during a meeting held at the Redemption Camp of the Redeemed Christian Church of God on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

While some pastors like Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and David Oyedepo of Winners Chapel openly advocated that all the Christian leaders queue behind Jonathan, others like Bishop Jonas Katung of the Maranatha Church in Jos,vehemently opposed the move.

Some Christian leaders at the meeting, however, said they should remain neutral and not become encumbered with partisan issues for any reason.

Read more at Sahara Reporters.

Pass Degree abolished in univeristies

2015-02-05 15:05 Abuja - The National Universities Commission ( NUC) has abolished the award of Pass Degree in Nigerian Universities with effect from the 2013/ 2014 academic session, Thisday reports.

Prof Abdullahi Zuru, the Vice Chancellor of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, disclosed this on Wednesday at the 2014/2015 matriculation of 4,133 students of the institution.
He said that the minimum pass mark for courses in the universities will now be 45 per cent, that is, D-grade, instead of the previous 40 per cent which was E-grade.

He stated that the minimum class of degree to be earned by students will now be Third Class.
According to him, no university student will henceforth graduate with a Pass Degree.

Read more at Thisday

APGA projected to turn tables against PDP in Abia State

Umuahia - Results from a survey conducted in the Abia State suggests the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) is favoured to win the governorship poll ahead of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party.

The recent survey, conducted by regional polling group, NOIPolls, shows a significant lead in the Abia State Governorship race between the top two contenders- APGA’s Dr. Alex Otti and the PDP candidate Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, with a 27 percent point gap between the two.

Asked who they will be voting for in the coming governorship elections, most respondents elected Otti, who led the list of candidates with 45 percent, while Ikpeazu had 18 percent.

Other candidates such as Chikwe Udensi and Anyim Nyerere had 2 percent and 1 percent respectively.

“However, 32 percent of those polled are either undecided (19 percent) or sought confidentiality (13 percent) to their choice of candidate; and could be key in deciding a winner,” NOIPolls added.

The survey results also show that Dr. Alex Otti appears to have support of voters across all age groups; particularly from first time voters of between the ages of 18 to 21 (70 percent).

Furthermore, 24 percent of voters in Abia-South and 21 percent in Abia-Central senatorial districts remain undecided as to their choice of candidate.

The survey shows that almost 9 in 10 eligible voters are registered to vote in the February elections, with about 8 in 10 (86 percent) being absolutely certain that they will vote. Similarly, the working class of between 30 to 60 years, as well as senior citizens of age 61+, were absolutely certain they will vote.

NOIPolls conducted the survey via telephone interviews in the week commencing January 26.

“NOIPolls can say with 95 percent confidence that the results obtained are statistically precise - within a range of plus or minus 3 percent.”

PDP’s Theodore Orji is the incumbent in Abia State

– CAJ News