Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Video - Nigeria's challenge to contain ebola
Nigeria may be Africa's biggest economy. But Ebola is certainly proving a challenge to its public health service.
Related stories: Nigeria confirms 10 cases of ebola
Nigerian government declares ebola outbreak a 'national emergency'
Former Newcastle great Shola Ameobi signs one-year deal with 2nd division Turkish club
The Nigeria international, 32, was a free agent following his departure from St James' Park, where, after graduating from the academy, he had been a first-team player for 14 years.
"We want to establish an ambitious team in the league this season, and a strong team continues to strengthen by adding players," said a statement on Gaziantep's official website.
"We have therefore tied Nigerian striker Shola Ameobi - from one of the strongest teams in England, Newcastle United - to us for one year."
Ameobi made 312 appearances for the Magpies, scoring 53 goals, but much of his career on Tyneside was plagued by injury and inconsistent form. He scored Champions League goals against Barcelona in 2002 and against Bayer Leverkusen the following year, while his best return in the Premier League saw him score nine goals in 2005-06.
Ameobi's 11 goals in 21 appearances helped Newcastle win promotion from the Championship in 2010 but he steadily became a fringe player as boss Alan Pardew re-established the club in the top flight.
Gaziantep, who are currently managed by Suat Kaya, finished in 14th place in the TFF First League - the league below the Turkish Super Lig - last season.
Vanguard
Related stories: NFF threaten to petition FIFA for Newcastle and Millwall to release Amoebi and Shittu
Shola Ameobi excited to play for Nigeria
Monday, August 11, 2014
WAEC results show mass failure of students in 2014 exam
Again, candidates performance in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) has continued to decline as West African Examinations Council (WAEC) yesterday announced the release of the May/June 2014 result.
Addressing reporters yesterday, Head of WAEC National office in Lagos, Mr Charles Eguridu disclosed that a total number of 1,705,976 candidates registered for the examination, out of which 1,692,435 candidates, consisting of 929,075 male and 763,360 female candidates sat for the test.
According to him, out of 1,692,435 candidates who sat for the examination, about 529,425of them , representing 31.28 per cent obtained credits in five subjects and above, including English Language and Mathematics.
“This figure, when compared to the 2012 and 2013 May/June WASSCE diets, shows a marginal decline in the performance of candidates. In May/June 2012 WASSCE, 38.81 per cent of candidates obtained five credits and above including English language and Mathematics. In 2013, the percentage declined to 36.57 per cent; and this year, we have 31.28 per cent.”
He hinted that 1,605,613 candidates, representing 94.87percent have their results fully released, while 86,822 candidates, representing 5.13percent have a few of their subjects still being processed due to some errors, mainly traceable to laxity on the part of the candidates and the schools in the course of registration or writing the examination.
“Such errors are being corrected by the Council to enable the affected candidates get their results fully processed and released as soon as they are ready.”
Eguridu said the results of 145,795 candidates, representing 8.61 per cent, are being withheld in connection with various types of examination malpractice, which were reported both during the conduct and marking of the May/June 2014 WASSCE.
“The cases are being investigated and the reports of the investigations will be presented in November to the Nigeria Examinations Committee (NEC), the highest decision-making organ of the Council on examination-related matters in Nigeria for consideration. The Committee’s decisions will, thereafter, be communicated to the affected candidates through their schools.”
He said, the Council has decided to extend the normal registration period for the November/December 2014 WASSCE, to Sunday August 17, 2014, so as to enable candidates who sat the last May/June examination, and who may have any deficiencies, to register for the November/December examination diet, if they so wish.
He advised candidates who sat for the May/June 2014 WASSCE to check the details of their performance on the Council’s results website www.waecdirect.org within the next 24 hours.
Guardian
Related stories: Mass failure in 2012 WAEC exams - 62.3 don't make grade
70 percent of students fail WAEC exam
Addressing reporters yesterday, Head of WAEC National office in Lagos, Mr Charles Eguridu disclosed that a total number of 1,705,976 candidates registered for the examination, out of which 1,692,435 candidates, consisting of 929,075 male and 763,360 female candidates sat for the test.
According to him, out of 1,692,435 candidates who sat for the examination, about 529,425of them , representing 31.28 per cent obtained credits in five subjects and above, including English Language and Mathematics.
“This figure, when compared to the 2012 and 2013 May/June WASSCE diets, shows a marginal decline in the performance of candidates. In May/June 2012 WASSCE, 38.81 per cent of candidates obtained five credits and above including English language and Mathematics. In 2013, the percentage declined to 36.57 per cent; and this year, we have 31.28 per cent.”
He hinted that 1,605,613 candidates, representing 94.87percent have their results fully released, while 86,822 candidates, representing 5.13percent have a few of their subjects still being processed due to some errors, mainly traceable to laxity on the part of the candidates and the schools in the course of registration or writing the examination.
“Such errors are being corrected by the Council to enable the affected candidates get their results fully processed and released as soon as they are ready.”
Eguridu said the results of 145,795 candidates, representing 8.61 per cent, are being withheld in connection with various types of examination malpractice, which were reported both during the conduct and marking of the May/June 2014 WASSCE.
“The cases are being investigated and the reports of the investigations will be presented in November to the Nigeria Examinations Committee (NEC), the highest decision-making organ of the Council on examination-related matters in Nigeria for consideration. The Committee’s decisions will, thereafter, be communicated to the affected candidates through their schools.”
He said, the Council has decided to extend the normal registration period for the November/December 2014 WASSCE, to Sunday August 17, 2014, so as to enable candidates who sat the last May/June examination, and who may have any deficiencies, to register for the November/December examination diet, if they so wish.
He advised candidates who sat for the May/June 2014 WASSCE to check the details of their performance on the Council’s results website www.waecdirect.org within the next 24 hours.
Guardian
Related stories: Mass failure in 2012 WAEC exams - 62.3 don't make grade
70 percent of students fail WAEC exam
Wives of Nigerian soldiers protest the lack of resources troops have to combat Boko Haram
The wives of Nigerian soldiers have protested against their husbands being sent to fight militant Islamist group Boko Haram, a demonstrator has said.
The protest at the main military barracks in north-eastern Maiduguri city came as the government vowed to retake Gwoza town from the militants.
Hundreds of people were killed when Boko Haram seized Gwoza last week, the area's senator, Ali Ndume, said.
Boko Haram is fighting to create an Islamic state in Nigeria.
The BBC's Abdullahi Kaura in the capital, Abuja, says he understands that about 100 women protested at the Giwa barracks in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state.
'Throat slit'
It is the latest sign of growing dissatisfaction with the military top brass, he says.
Soldiers have repeatedly complained Boko Haram has superior firepower and they are in position to confront the militants.
In May, some soldiers opened fire on their commander, Maj-Gen Ahmed Mohammed, at Maiduguri's Maimalari barracks, blaming him for the killing of their colleagues by Boko Haram fighters.
A wife of a soldier, who spoke to the BBC on condition of anonymity, said they were opposed to their husbands going into battle.
When their husbands were sent to the front line on 13 March, Boko Haram launched an assault on the barracks the next day, she said.
Her home was burnt, and her neighbour's four children were killed, the woman added.
"Now [the army] want to send our husbands to Gwoza and we said 'no'," she told the BBC.
"Our husbands have been fighting Boko Haram for six years now. If they get killed or injured, they [the army] will not take care for us."
BBC
Related stories: 11 parents of some of the kidnapped schoolgirls now dead
Boko Haram attacks the same town it kidnapped the schoolgirls from
The protest at the main military barracks in north-eastern Maiduguri city came as the government vowed to retake Gwoza town from the militants.
Hundreds of people were killed when Boko Haram seized Gwoza last week, the area's senator, Ali Ndume, said.
Boko Haram is fighting to create an Islamic state in Nigeria.
The BBC's Abdullahi Kaura in the capital, Abuja, says he understands that about 100 women protested at the Giwa barracks in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state.
'Throat slit'
It is the latest sign of growing dissatisfaction with the military top brass, he says.
Soldiers have repeatedly complained Boko Haram has superior firepower and they are in position to confront the militants.
In May, some soldiers opened fire on their commander, Maj-Gen Ahmed Mohammed, at Maiduguri's Maimalari barracks, blaming him for the killing of their colleagues by Boko Haram fighters.
A wife of a soldier, who spoke to the BBC on condition of anonymity, said they were opposed to their husbands going into battle.
When their husbands were sent to the front line on 13 March, Boko Haram launched an assault on the barracks the next day, she said.
Her home was burnt, and her neighbour's four children were killed, the woman added.
"Now [the army] want to send our husbands to Gwoza and we said 'no'," she told the BBC.
"Our husbands have been fighting Boko Haram for six years now. If they get killed or injured, they [the army] will not take care for us."
BBC
Related stories: 11 parents of some of the kidnapped schoolgirls now dead
Boko Haram attacks the same town it kidnapped the schoolgirls from
Nigeria confirms 10 cases of ebola
Nigeria now has 10 confirmed cases of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) with 177 persons under surveillance, the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chuwku, said on Monday in Abuja.
Chukwu made the disclosure while updating newsmen on the efforts by the government to contain the disease.
It has been 22 days since EVD first landed in Nigeria. As at today, 177 primary and secondary contacts of the index case have been placed under surveillance or isolation.
The 10th case actually was one of the nurses who also had contact with our index case; when she got ill we brought her into isolation, we just tested her over the weekend and she tested positive.
That is what made it 10 cases since the last conference on Friday, Between Friday and today, we have one additional case that brings it to 10.
Nine people developed EVD, bringing the total number of cases in Nigeria to 10; of these 10, two have died -- the Liberian American and the Nigerian nurse -- while eight are alive and currently on treatment,’’ he said.
Chukwu disclosed that Nigeria was the first and only African country to have donated 3.5 million dollars for humanitarian aid and capacity building to the three Ebola affected countries of Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone.
He recalled that President Goodluck Jonathan had declared a national emergency on Ebola and approved N1.9 billion intervention fund to combat the outbreak of the Virus.
The minister reiterated the government's commitment to continue to discharge its responsibilities in confronting and stopping the outbreak of Ebola.
On the strike by the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), he said government had consistently appealed to the association to call off the strike.
We are still discussing with the NMA, we are still pleading with the association to ask its members to return to work, while we are still doing that we have not gone to bed, we are not sleeping.
There are doctors who are not part of the strike and they have been taking part in the management of these patients, we are still recruiting more volunteers because we need more people to come into the fight against Ebola.
Not only doctors because it includes health workers, nurses, environmental officers, sanitary officers, laboratory scientists, pharmacists and the likes,’’ he said.
The minister urged the public to adhere to the self-precautionary measures of hand washing and avoiding unnecessary contact to control the spread of the disease.
Guardian
Related story: Nigerian government declares ebola outbreak a 'national emergency'
Chukwu made the disclosure while updating newsmen on the efforts by the government to contain the disease.
It has been 22 days since EVD first landed in Nigeria. As at today, 177 primary and secondary contacts of the index case have been placed under surveillance or isolation.
The 10th case actually was one of the nurses who also had contact with our index case; when she got ill we brought her into isolation, we just tested her over the weekend and she tested positive.
That is what made it 10 cases since the last conference on Friday, Between Friday and today, we have one additional case that brings it to 10.
Nine people developed EVD, bringing the total number of cases in Nigeria to 10; of these 10, two have died -- the Liberian American and the Nigerian nurse -- while eight are alive and currently on treatment,’’ he said.
Chukwu disclosed that Nigeria was the first and only African country to have donated 3.5 million dollars for humanitarian aid and capacity building to the three Ebola affected countries of Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone.
He recalled that President Goodluck Jonathan had declared a national emergency on Ebola and approved N1.9 billion intervention fund to combat the outbreak of the Virus.
The minister reiterated the government's commitment to continue to discharge its responsibilities in confronting and stopping the outbreak of Ebola.
On the strike by the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), he said government had consistently appealed to the association to call off the strike.
We are still discussing with the NMA, we are still pleading with the association to ask its members to return to work, while we are still doing that we have not gone to bed, we are not sleeping.
There are doctors who are not part of the strike and they have been taking part in the management of these patients, we are still recruiting more volunteers because we need more people to come into the fight against Ebola.
Not only doctors because it includes health workers, nurses, environmental officers, sanitary officers, laboratory scientists, pharmacists and the likes,’’ he said.
The minister urged the public to adhere to the self-precautionary measures of hand washing and avoiding unnecessary contact to control the spread of the disease.
Guardian
Related story: Nigerian government declares ebola outbreak a 'national emergency'
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