Taekwondo instructor Master Ferguson Oluigbo tells Vladimir Duthiers about Nigeria's growing interest in martial arts.
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Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Video - The fastest growing sport in Nigeria
Taekwondo instructor Master Ferguson Oluigbo tells Vladimir Duthiers about Nigeria's growing interest in martial arts.
Monday, August 13, 2012
62 percent of students fail 2012 WAEC exam
Only 649,156 candidates, representing 38.81 per cent of those who sat for the May/June 2012 Senior Secondary School Certificate examination, obtained credits in five subjects and above, including English Language and Mathematics.
According to details of the results released yesterday by the West Africa Examination Council, this represents an eight per cent improvement when compared with that of 2011 May/June results, which had a pass level of 30.91 per cent.
The Head of the Nigeria National Office of WAEC, Iyi Uwadiae, at a press briefing at the council's office in Yaba, Lagos, stated that 1,695,8788 candidates registered for the examination out of which 1,672,224 candidates, consisting of 923,974 male and 748,250 female candidates, sat for the examination.
"Out of the total number of candidates, 1,545,004 candidates, representing 90.10 per cent, have their results fully released, while 1,545,004 candidates, representing 8.90 per cent, have their results fully released while 150,874 candidates, representing 8.90 per cent, have a few of their subjects still being processed," Uwadiae said
The full results will be available on the WAEC website from Saturday, he said.
The examination body also stated that 112,000 candidates' results, representing 6.70 per cent, are being withheld in connection with various cases of examination malpractices.
He said candidates would be able to check the details of their performance on the council's results website: www.waecdirect.org within the next 48 hours.
According to details of the results released yesterday by the West Africa Examination Council, this represents an eight per cent improvement when compared with that of 2011 May/June results, which had a pass level of 30.91 per cent.
The Head of the Nigeria National Office of WAEC, Iyi Uwadiae, at a press briefing at the council's office in Yaba, Lagos, stated that 1,695,8788 candidates registered for the examination out of which 1,672,224 candidates, consisting of 923,974 male and 748,250 female candidates, sat for the examination.
"Out of the total number of candidates, 1,545,004 candidates, representing 90.10 per cent, have their results fully released, while 1,545,004 candidates, representing 8.90 per cent, have their results fully released while 150,874 candidates, representing 8.90 per cent, have a few of their subjects still being processed," Uwadiae said
The full results will be available on the WAEC website from Saturday, he said.
The examination body also stated that 112,000 candidates' results, representing 6.70 per cent, are being withheld in connection with various cases of examination malpractices.
He said candidates would be able to check the details of their performance on the council's results website: www.waecdirect.org within the next 48 hours.
Related story: 57 percent of varsity lecturers in Nigeria don't have PhDs'
Video - Nigerian Olympian rejects drug allegations
Chioma Ajunwa Opara on rebuilding her career after failing a drug test and the need for better sports doctors in Nigeria.
Related stories: No medals for Nigeria in London 2012 Olympics
No medals for Nigeria at London 2012 Olympics
The story of Nigeria at the 2012 London Olympics is "No gold, no silver, no bronze, N2.3 billion down the drain."
And now a top Nigerian sports official who is a member of an international sports federation wants the federal government to compel the sports ministry to account for how they spent the N2.3 billion government released for the Olympic Games which ended in London yesterday. He would not have his name on print.
He said the ministry should disclose how much they released to each sports association that presented a team to the Olympic Games. Athletics, Weightlifting, Taekwondo(athletes) Canoeing (one athlete), Wrestling, Basketball, Table Tennis and Boxing associations presented teams at the games. All the athletes were 51. The number of officials was still unknown as there were many who were not accredited and, consequently, were not useful to the athletes. They stayed in their hotels to watch the games on television. This irked the Nigerian official and he described the action of the ministry as "wasteful."
He said it was necessary for the ministry to disclose the allocations to each association because of what he called "the wrong decisions" that partly affected Nigeria's preparation to the games.
The official said the following: "Taekwondo that presented two athletes was given over N65m to prepare while Athletics that had over 100 athletes but which they pruned to 28 for the Olympics was given N131m. Basketball which had to travel to Venezuela for their qualifying tournament was given N75m for all their preparation including the tournament in Venezuela.
And now a top Nigerian sports official who is a member of an international sports federation wants the federal government to compel the sports ministry to account for how they spent the N2.3 billion government released for the Olympic Games which ended in London yesterday. He would not have his name on print.
He said the ministry should disclose how much they released to each sports association that presented a team to the Olympic Games. Athletics, Weightlifting, Taekwondo(athletes) Canoeing (one athlete), Wrestling, Basketball, Table Tennis and Boxing associations presented teams at the games. All the athletes were 51. The number of officials was still unknown as there were many who were not accredited and, consequently, were not useful to the athletes. They stayed in their hotels to watch the games on television. This irked the Nigerian official and he described the action of the ministry as "wasteful."
He said it was necessary for the ministry to disclose the allocations to each association because of what he called "the wrong decisions" that partly affected Nigeria's preparation to the games.
The official said the following: "Taekwondo that presented two athletes was given over N65m to prepare while Athletics that had over 100 athletes but which they pruned to 28 for the Olympics was given N131m. Basketball which had to travel to Venezuela for their qualifying tournament was given N75m for all their preparation including the tournament in Venezuela.
The rest of the sports did not get more than N500,000. And yet N2.3 billion was released for the Olympic games. But the money came in installments and it came so late that nothing much could be done with the last installment. This is not the way to prepare for the Olympic Games. The people who disbursed the money took wrong decisions and now the athletes are saying that they did not prepare well. The ministry is to blame."
A coach in one of the teams admitted that Nigeria lacked world class athletes and that even if more billions of money were approved the money would have still gone down the drain as "you cannot perform magic over night in sports, you build over a period of time."
The last time Nigeria left the Olympic Games without a medal was 24 years ago in the Seoul Olympic Games of 1988.
A coach in one of the teams admitted that Nigeria lacked world class athletes and that even if more billions of money were approved the money would have still gone down the drain as "you cannot perform magic over night in sports, you build over a period of time."
The last time Nigeria left the Olympic Games without a medal was 24 years ago in the Seoul Olympic Games of 1988.
Related story: Nigerian olympic athletes test positive for drugs in London
Friday, August 10, 2012
United Kingdom to upgrade Nigerian prisons for deportees
Taxpayers in the United Kingdom are to foot the bill to revamp jails in Nigeria and Jamaica so that the convicts in British prisons can be deported without breaching their human rights, The Daily Mail reported on Thursday.
This is the latest move by the UK’s coalition government to persuade foreign convicts to serve their sentences at home.
It was revealed that a project is currently going in Nigeria which supports the provision of “human rights training for prison officers” while another project will construct new facilities at a women’s prison in Lagos, to reduce overcrowding.
The report also claimed that funds were currently being spent in Jamaica to “assist Jamaican authorities in modernising their prison service and rehabilitation and reintegration activities.”
Jamaica tops the list of the nations with most prisoners in British jails, with 900 inmates, followed by Poland-750, Republic of Ireland-737 and Nigeria, with 594 inmates.
“Ministers have resorted to the tactic – designed to satisfy the human rights of inmates – after it emerged that the UK’s own prison system has turned into a ‘United Nations of crime” the British Tabloid reported on its website.
Research by the House of Commons library reveals how British jails contain inmates from 156 countries and the total number of foreign prisoners is rising despite pledges by the Prime Minister, David Cameron to address the issue.
It is estimated that by March 2012, there were 11,127 foreign inmates behind bars, at an estimated cost to the UK public purse of more than £420m. This is up from 10,778 in 2011.
The convicts, which includes rapists, murderers and burglars, now make up more than one in every eight convicts. The figures were disclosed as the British Prime Minister faced more criticism on Wednesday over his foreign aid commitments.
Cameron was taking part in a radio phone-in when a pensioner called to tell him it was wrong that she was denied a cancer drug while billions were spent on overseas aid.
Meanwhile, it emerged that the dire need to create space in the packed jails has prompted ministers to take the extraordinary step of establishing a £3m annual pot to make it easier for convicts to serve their sentences back home.
This is the latest move by the UK’s coalition government to persuade foreign convicts to serve their sentences at home.
It was revealed that a project is currently going in Nigeria which supports the provision of “human rights training for prison officers” while another project will construct new facilities at a women’s prison in Lagos, to reduce overcrowding.
The report also claimed that funds were currently being spent in Jamaica to “assist Jamaican authorities in modernising their prison service and rehabilitation and reintegration activities.”
Jamaica tops the list of the nations with most prisoners in British jails, with 900 inmates, followed by Poland-750, Republic of Ireland-737 and Nigeria, with 594 inmates.
“Ministers have resorted to the tactic – designed to satisfy the human rights of inmates – after it emerged that the UK’s own prison system has turned into a ‘United Nations of crime” the British Tabloid reported on its website.
Research by the House of Commons library reveals how British jails contain inmates from 156 countries and the total number of foreign prisoners is rising despite pledges by the Prime Minister, David Cameron to address the issue.
It is estimated that by March 2012, there were 11,127 foreign inmates behind bars, at an estimated cost to the UK public purse of more than £420m. This is up from 10,778 in 2011.
The convicts, which includes rapists, murderers and burglars, now make up more than one in every eight convicts. The figures were disclosed as the British Prime Minister faced more criticism on Wednesday over his foreign aid commitments.
Cameron was taking part in a radio phone-in when a pensioner called to tell him it was wrong that she was denied a cancer drug while billions were spent on overseas aid.
Meanwhile, it emerged that the dire need to create space in the packed jails has prompted ministers to take the extraordinary step of establishing a £3m annual pot to make it easier for convicts to serve their sentences back home.
Related stories: Austria plans to deport 1,000 Nigerians
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