GREATEST FUTARIANS

Seven persons have been feared dead as a result of the heavy downpour in Ibadan, Oyo State. The rain which started at about 9pm on Sunday lasted till Monday left the residents counting their losses. According to the residents of the affected communities in Oluyole Local Government Area of the State said the victims were swept away by the flood while trying to cross a bridge, which, unknown to them, had already collapsed under the water. The impact of the flood was noticeable in areas like Arapaja, Akala new extension, and Lao hospital area where some people reportedly fell into the flood waters when they tried to cross the flood-covered collapsed bridge. Witnesses said some commercial motorcycle and tricycle operators, who were not aware that the bridge had caved in, fell into the flowing erosion and were swept away. An official of the state fire service department, who did not want his name disclosed as he was not authorised to speak, said only two persons were affected. He said ...

THE strike action embarked upon by university lecturers has assumed another dimension as the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has been dragged before the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) over the lingering strike action. The suit, with the number NICW/Abj/242/2013 which also has ministers of labour and productivity, education, finance and justice, as well as secretary to the government of the federation as defendants, was instituted by the registered trustees of Golden Women of Integrity and Vision Association and Mrs. Florence Uche Ojieh. In the suit, the claimants are asking the court to determine whether the strike action embarked upon by ASUU is not illegal and contrary to law and whether members of the union are not bound by the policy of 'no work no pay' and therefore not entitled to their salary during the period of the strike. They also asked the court to determine whether members of ASUU are entitled to continue to retain their employment, havi...

Chelsea midfielder and Nigerian international, Mikel Obi, gets closer to receiving nominations for the Footballer of the Year and the Sportsman of the Year Award in the 2013 edition of the Nigerian Sports Award (NSA) by helping his club side attain a 2-0 victory Fulham at Stamford Bridge. Mikel who scored his first Premiership League goal since he joined the Blues about eight seasons ago playing his 185th league game, made a stunner over the weekend by scoring in the 85th minute which gave chelsea victory over fulham The Chelsea midfielder who won the Footballer of the Year Award in the maiden edition of the award last year, is now up for the two categories against Victor Moses who is currently at Liverpool on loan. Reacting to Mikel's historic goal, Kayode Idowu, General Manager, Unmissable Incentives Limited, organisers of the Nigerian Sports Award, hails the courage of the midfielder for being focused and putting in his best during the long wait to open his EPL goal account. ...

Winner of Glo X Factor, Obianuju Catherine Udeh aka DJ Switch is begging for forgiveness. The 29-year-old fast rising rapper and Geology graduate is apologizing to her family for abandoning her mother and siblings while searching for fame and fortune. She was declared winner of the maiden edition of Globacom sponsored music reality TV show Glo X-factor held in Lagos. In a recent interview, the indigene of Udi, Enugu State, said she felt bad for abandoning home for more than a year while pursuing her music career and now that she has made it, she's asking for forgiveness. "I am sorry mum for being away from home for so long while in search of glory. Now that I am back, I will take good care of you," DJ Switch declares in tears. Switch likened herself to a prodigal son who got opportunities but frittered them away. "I was like a prodigal son who had an opportunity in the past but due to youthful exuberance I mismanaged the resources. Now, I am a better person and ...

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has blamed the rot in the Nigerian education on the Executive Secretary of the National University Commission, Julius Okojie, saying his failure to insist on quality is affected the system. The lecturers also vowed to carry on with the strike action unless the federal government consents to the 2009 agreement it had with the union. In a statement signed by its University of Ibadan branch chairman, Olusegun Ajiboye, ASUU renewed its call for the scraping or a total overhaul of the regulatory institution if the nation wishes to get it right in university education management. While calling on the National Assembly to look in to the activities of the NUC, Mr. Ajiboye said the recent NEEDS assessment report on universities reflects how much the commission has failed in its duties as a regulator. According to him, the report undertaken by genuine academics contradicts NUC's accreditation exercises which gave 'controversial' cle...

Nigeria and some other countries will no longer be eligible to participate in the America Diversity Visa lottery programme. Information from the United States Department of State sighted on Sunday said Nigerians and citizens from few other countries were not eligible for DV-2015. The department said Nigeria was excluded since over 50,000 Nigerians had immigrated into the United States in the last five years. The department listed other countries not eligible as Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China (mainland-born), Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador and Haiti. Others are India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, South Korea, United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland) and its dependent territories, and Vietnam However, many African countries would continue to enjoy the programme. Some of them are Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Cote D'Ivoire (Ivory Coast...

As the industrial action embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, enters its 10th week, the Anti-Corruption Network, has given the Federal Government one week within which to settle its problems with the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, or face nationwide mass protest. It also advised President Goodluck Jonathan to write to the National Assembly for virement or seek for loan to settle the demands of university teachers. The group said it would mobilize Nigerians to the streets and protest to the Ministry of Education, should government fail to do the needful. Executive Secretary of Anti-Corruption Network and former member of the House of Representatives, Dino Melaye, said yesterday that government's attitude showed it had no interest in the future generation of Nigerians. Melaye said: "The Federal Government as far back as 2009, went into an agreement with ASUU and signed that agreement. Why will you agree to what you don't intend to...