Monday, 9 September 2013

Group donates school uniforms, kits to 400 Lagos pupils

About 400 hundred orphans and vulnerable students from Mainland Local Government Area of Lagos State will resume school  in the next few weeks with new school uniforms and kits donated by, Jakin NGO a nongovernmental organization.
The donation at Panda Event Complex, Sabo, Yaba, Lagos on Friday was in commemoration of this year’s World Literacy Day.
According to the president of the organisation, Mrs. Olubukola Adebiyi, Jakin NGO, the group has the objective to enlighten the children on the essence of education and  encourage them  appreciate their impact on the future of  the nation.
 The group also empowers young pupils with basic school items in order for them   to function effectively in the new academic session.
She said: ''The gesture of love will help them psychologically by boosting their morale and definitely spark a new light in them by encouraging them that there is still a light at the end of the tunnel.
 ''Jakin NGO’s  Dress a Child For School Project,  which has held in September of every year since 2010 will continue to put smiles on the  faces of these children by providing them two brand new school uniforms, a school bag, two pairs of socks, a pair of school sandals, a dozen exercise books and other school items.''
 Adebiyi urged the parents and students not to give up on education since ''education is the greatest legacy we can give a child. It is the valuable gift and greatest investment in a nation.''
''It is not too late, we can still save our world we must challenge ourselves to pull our resource together and jointly fight illiteracy, we need to fill the gaps repair the bridges and strengthen the various form and channels of literacy available in the society,'' she added.

Speaking on the theme of the year event, ''Literacy for the 21st century Nigerian child'' The Education Specialist, UNICEF,
Mrs. Justine Onifade said literacy in 21st century deals with the ability for a child to able to interact with computer systems.

''It mitigate the potential adverse effect of media and empowers children to make informed choice.''

She urged the government to provide computer systems to the government owned schools  since ''computer and media literacy is an essential part private school system.''


 By Adeniyi Adunola and Tolulope Okunlola

Thursday, 29 August 2013

Nigerian Ropes raises the alarm over adulteration of products


Quality Control Manager, Nigerian Ropes Plc. Engr. Chimaraoke Alua, Managing Director, Mr. Joao Pereira and the Executive Director, Mr. Dayo Ogunmowo, at a Press Conference by the company on Test Certificate being falsified and faked by some businessmen to cover sub-standard imported wire ropes, held in Lagos recently
THE Nigerian Ropes Plc, world leader in the manufacture of ropes in cordage technology, has raised the alarm to the public and especially its customers in the oil and gas, mining, fishing, construction and shipping industries over its products, which were being adulterated.

  Briefing the press at the Nigerian Ropes Plc, Eric Moore, Lagos office yesterday, the Managing Director, Mr. Joao Pereira said Nigerian Ropes products adhere to both national and international standards and maintain positive quality assurance and control practices.

  Pereira added that her test certificates are now being faking by some ropes businessmen to cover sub-standard importation of wire ropes.

  Currently, about five companies based in Port Harcourt are being suspected to be involved in this illegal practice, he added.

  He said due to this illegal act the company has commenced actions to mitigate faking of her Test Certificate, which includes redesigning of the existing Test Certificate format and changing the paper colour, which will take effect from September 2, 2013.

  Meanwhile, the company urged caution and advised all stakeholders in ropes business using the Nigerian Ropes products to always ensure that genuine Nigerian products with corresponding certification are not just assumed but confirmed. 

By Adeniyi Adunola

Monday, 26 August 2013

Jonathan Sacks Youth Development Minister

Mr. Inuwa Abdulkadir
President Goodluck Jonathan has sacked his Minister of Youth Development ,Mr Inuwa Abdulkadir.A statement by Mr Sam Nwaobasi ,Special Assistant (Media) to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation said “His Excellency Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR President and Commander –in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria has relieved Inuwa Abdul-kadir, Esq of his appointment as Honourable Minister of Youth Development with effect from the 26th of August, 2013. The former Minister is to hand over to the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Youth Development.
“Mr. President expresses appreciation to the Former Minister for the time he put in the services of the nations and wishes him success in his future endeavours”,the statement said.
Abdukadir,a lawyer was a commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of Sokoto State before he was appointed minister by President Jonathan.

The Sack Notice:
26th August, 2013
PRESS STATEMENT

TERMINATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
His Excellency Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR President and Commander –in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria has relieved Inuwa Abdul-kadir, Esq of his appointment as Honourable Minister of Youth Development with effect from the 26th of August, 2013. The former Minister is to hand over to the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Youth Development.
Mr. President expresses appreciation to the Former Minister for the time he put in the services of the nations and wishes him success in his future endeavours.
wishes him success in his future endeavours.
SIGNED
Sam Nwaobasi
Special Assistant (Media)
For: The Secretary to the Government of the Federation

Stakeholder boost human capital management

In keeping with its commitment to improve the Nigerian corporate landscape through the development of capacity building programmes for business executives, Poise Nigeria Limited, a personality development and business image consultancy in conjunction with Enterprise development Centre (EDC) of Pan- Atlantic University, recently organised breakfast meetings to discuss a new approach to the protracted problem of poor employability skills in the nation’s work force.

  The events which held at the EDC centre in Lagos and Abuja on 13th and 17th July, 2013 respectively, and saw in attendance CEOs and Human Resource Personnel from over 50 organisations, featured talks on the perennial problem of poor employability skills among Nigerian graduates and how the situation can be managed. The focus was on the challenges of recruiting qualified hands and safeguarding and improving the quality of an organization’s workforce by using an effective recruitment system. A key part of the conversation was a product known as PSENSE, a specially designed tool for human capital management, which takes into account and mitigates the basic challenges of the Nigerian labour force and the employability levels of our graduates. The product is an employability skills testing and certification platform designed by Poise Nigeria in collaboration with Biddle Consulting, United State.

  Speaking at the event, Mrs. Ukinebo Dare, the Head of the Poise’ Graduate Finishing School, explained that it had become a necessity to have standardized assessment systems that allow for an objective and accurate measurement of the work readiness of a job candidate. According to her, today’s workplace requires that employees possess essential soft skills among which are the ability to think analytically and work strategically, articulate ideas effectively both in written  and spoken forms, work under pressure, solve problems creatively, possess good ICT skills and so on.  She pointed out that a candidate’s possession of such skills was not easily ascertainable by screenings based on their class of degree or their performance in theoretical and abstract aptitude tests, but on a checkpoint system built to test for such skills.

  At this point, she introduced the PSENSE Employability Skills Certification as an assessment tool that had been designed  not only to  test the intelligence quotient of the job candidate, but more importantly, to ascertain their work readiness through an evaluation of their employability skills level.

 Dare  stated that the product would reduce the chances of making  hiring mistakes because it would provide employers with a clear picture of a prospective employee’s intelligence quotient and their possession of the essential work place soft skills. She further explained that unlike the typical recruitment aptitude tests which were capable of presenting employers with only a report on the intelligence level of the candidates, the PSENSE Employability Skills Certification was built to test the job candidate’s mental prowess, and their possession of the crucial work place skills: ICT skills, problem solving ability, interpersonal skills, writing ability, knowledge of the English grammar, time management ability, emotional intelligence, team work skills among others.

 Dare, who is also an employability skills trainer and a recruiter, pointed out that the product was customizable, and could be adapted to the suit the recruitment needs of different organisations. She also said that the product could be used to test and recruit for specific job functions, managerial roles, and in-house testing of incumbent employees to determine their training needs. 

  Also speaking at the event, the Director of the Enterprise Development Centre, Peter Bamkole, lauded the product as the possible solution to the perennial problem of poor employability skills. Bamkole noted that the possession of good soft skills had become as imperative as hard skills for the successful performance of a job, and that a tool that promised to ascertain a candidate’s possession of the requisite work skills and take the guesswork out of the hiring process was a welcome development.

 The Group CEO of Poise Nigeria Limited, Mrs. Mavi Isibor also said that the company was presently conducting employability skills seminars in some universities, training undergraduates in employability skills and working with recruiters and trainers to standardize training and certification.
 According to her, the only way to revive the work force and secure the nation’s future was set a standard. She therefore called on organisations present to request for the certification, and that this in return would compel job seekers to seek the necessary training required to acquire the certification.
  The product was well received by those in attendance, and the event ended with a demonstration of the workings of the tool.



Friday, 23 August 2013

Gunmen Attack Enugu Market, killed 6

The entire Ogwuagor Market, Abakpa Nike in Enugu East Local Government Area of the Enugu State was yesterday thrown into confusion as unknown gun men opened fire in the market killing about six people and injured several persons.

The hoodlums, who took everybody unaware, injured about eight people.

Reason for the attack which threw the entire market and environ into pandemonium was yet to be ascertained as at the time of filling this report.

Confirming the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer PPRO, Ebere Amaraizu said though, the tragedy struck in the market “but only two people were killed.

He hinted that at least four suspects have been arrested by the police in connection with the attack.

His words: "It was gathered that in the evening of 21/8/13 there was an alleged incident of gunfire at Ogwuagor Abakpa Nike Enugu which led to the death of two persons and leaving five injured.

"The arrested persons are peter Nwankwo,Udeh chimezie, Osita Onyia and one chief frank Eze.

"Meanwhile one Sunday Eze and Nebechi Mba reported deadhave been deposited at the  mortuary of the OrthopaedicHospital Enugu while the injured namely Uwadiegwu Onyegwu,Anayo Ifeji,Ani Basil,Hycienth Ugwu and Ozioma Ezekwem are also receiving treatment in an undisclosed nearby hospital.

"Investigations into the alleged incident have commenced in full scale to ascertain the root cause of the incident and those behind it as the arrested persons are now helping the police in their investigation.

"The state commissioner of police Abubakar Adamu Mohammed has urged members of the public to be law, abiding and go about their lawful businesses as security have been beefed up in the area to forestall further breakdown of law and order in the area".

Following the ugly development, African Examiner gathered that scores of residents of the area have fled their homes for fear of uncertainty.