IGBO GROUP SUPPORTS YAR'DUA
A socio-cultural group known as the Igbo Progressive Community has given kudos to President Yar’Adua on his assumption of office, but wants him to form an all-inclusive government in the interest of democracy.

At a media parley in Abuja, the Coordinator, Chief Emma Ukaegbu requested the new administration to initiate policies that will liberate the masses from economic hardship.

Only such people-friendly programmes could ensure social justice, Chief Ukaegbu said.

NLC THREATENS STRIKE ACTION
The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC says it will ask workers to stop work in the next two weeks, unless the Federal Government reversed some actions taken towards the end of the last administration.
In a statement at the end of an Emergency Central Working Committee meeting in Abuja, the NLC appealed to the present administration to reverse the measures to prevent a painful disruption of the economic life of the nation.
Labour Congress is particularly not happy with VAT and the non-implementation of the fifteen percent salary increase for public sector employees.
Others are the non-payment of two years monetization arrears to some workers, non-payment of severance package to disengaged workers and the hurried sale of Port Harcourt and Kaduna Refineries.
The statement signed by the NLC President, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar described its demand as genuine.

IPAS: REVEALS HIGH MORTALITY RATE IN NIGERIA

Do you know that women die in Nigeria from pregnancy related causes than in more populous countries like Inida?
Well an International Non-Government Organization working in the area of women’s health, IPAS, believes this is true and wants efforts to be intensified to check the situation in the country.        

The Country Boss of the Organization, Doctor Ejike Orji who is just back from India attributed the low rate of maternal mortality in that country to certain measures put in place by the government.

Doctor Orji said certain circumstances can make pregnancy unacceptable to a woman but however noted with regret that many women had either been killed or maimed in the process of trying to terminate such unwanted pregnancies.

The IPAS Country Director also appealed to the government to critically look into ways of making pregnancy safer in the country.

Doctor Orji said adequate information and services should be provided if the maternal mortality rate in the country must be reduced.
Our man, Godwin Odemejie reports that about fifteen thousand women in Nigeria die annually from unsafe abortion.

U.S GOVERNMENTSUPPORTS PROJECTS IN THE NORTH.

The U.S Government has allocated more than one and a half million Dollars for the execution of Water Supply, Agricultural and Educational Development Projects in Northern Nigeria.

U.S Stewart to Nigeria, Mr. John Campbell said at the inauguration of Garko and Darki Seed Storage facilities in Kano State that the U.S Office of Defence Cooperation in Partnership with USAID would construct boreholes, seed storage facilities and rehabilitate schools in the region.
The Ambassador announced that the aim was to ensure self-sufficiency in communities in the Northern region.

Earlier, Mr. Campbell had distributed textbooks to the Government Girls’ College, Dala, Kano to launch the distribution of books to sixty schools in the North.
He said more than eleven thousand volumes of books would be presented under the arrangement.
Mr. Campbell explained that the American Government has committed to supporting Nigeria’s goal of providing quality education to every child in the country.

TAYLOR GOES ON TRIAL

Former Liberian President, Charles Taylor is to go on trial today at the International Court of Justice at the Hague to answer to charges of war crimes.

Taylor is accused of murder and the use of fund from diamonds to fuel the conflict in neighboring Sierra Leone during his eight-year reign.

The former rebel leader was arrested in Nigeria last year after he had tried to escape from temporary exile in Calabar, the Cross River State capital.

BBC AWARDEE ADVISES ASUU TO CALL OFF STRIKE
A student of University of Jos and the winner of several international competitions, including the BBC’s postmark, Mr. Charles Achile Akoh have advised the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, to call off its strike.
He made the call when he visited Kapital FM.
The innocent Nigerian students were now confused and disillusioned because of the continuous degradation of the academic sector as a result of the intermittent strike by the ASUU.
He appealed to ASUU to show compassion on the would-be leaders of tomorrow.

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EHINDERO BIDS FAREWELL TO FORCE
The nation’s number one crime fighter, Sunday Ehindero is to bid the Police Force a final goodbye today.

Already, officers and men of the Force are due to pull him out at a colourful parade at the Eagle Square.

Also the Police helmsman in the FCT, Lawrence Alobi bowed out yesterday after thirty-five years in service.

At a farewell speech in Abuja, the top cop said his years as the FCT Police boss was most challenging and fulfilling.

Mr. Alobi said about six hundred and fifty-two armed robbery suspects are in the police net, while over eight hundred ammunitions and two hundred and ten vehicles were recovered by the Command in the last two years.  
 
In a remark, the man in-charge of Abuja Municipal Area Council, Mr. Zephaniah Jisalo described Mr. Alobi as one of the best police officers in the country and asked him to be the Security Adviser to the Council.
Mr. Lawrence Alobi served as the number one crime fighter in the FCT from July fifteen, two thousand and five.

HOME ECONOMICS EDUCATION

When Home Economics is mentioned, it is food that comes to mind.
However, the Home Economics Teachers’ Association of Nigeria says it is not only food but other aspects like home, clothing and the environment that are the subjects of the discipline.
The President of the Association, Mrs. F. Kayode told the gathering to mark the two thousand and seven World Home Economics Day, that efforts should be intensified to encourage the teaching and learning of Home Economics in schools.
She also called for a training of Home Economics teachers to prepare them for challenges of modern Home Economics.
The occasion featured exhibition, hand-woven clothes, tie and dye and food items.
The theme of this year’s World Home Economics Celebration is “Home Economics Education, a Tool for Youth Empowerment.”

KINGIBE TAKES OVER AS SGF

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Alhaji Baba Gana Kingibe has called for cooperation and understanding from all Nigerians to help President Umar Yar’Adua succeed.

Alhaji Kingibe made the appeal in Abuja at the formal take-over ceremony from Chief Ufot Ekaette who served as Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, for eight years.
He urged civil servants to be loyal, dedicated and be more inspiring.
The former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Ekaette congratulated Alhaji Kingibe on his appointment and described the office of the SGF as the policy nerve centre of the Federal Government.
The major responsibility of the office is to ensure effective coordination and monitoring of the implementation of Government policies and programmes for the overall development of the country.

JAMB: EXAMINATION MALPRACTICES

Joint Admission and Matriculation Boards JAMB says over three hundred candidates committed examination malpractices and another twenty one thousand cases are being investigated for various examination irregularities.

The man Piloting Affairs of the Board Professor Dibu Oferinde made this known in Abuja while announcing the results of the two thousand and seven University Matriculation Examination.

Professor Ojerinde said the Board would introduce sophisticated technologies to check examination malpractices. 
The JAMB Registrar however frowned at the down ward trend of applications for Education and Agricultural Courses of the University Matriculation Examinations.

Professor Ojerinde stressed the importance of education and Agricultural Courses in the Socio-economic and Political development of the country.