Nollywood actress, Iniobong Edo has opened up on her failed marriage, saying that she was forced to marry a man she didn’t love in the first place.
In an interview with well-known media personality, Chude Jideonwo, she admitted that she had second thoughts about getting married in the first place.
On November 29, 2008, the beautiful thespian married American-based businessman, Philip Ehiagwina, but the marriage only lasted five years before the couple divorced in 2013.
In the interview, Ini-Edo said that the marriage was forced upon her by her family and that she would only consider marriage with the right person.
“I regretted my decision to get married because it wasn’t just the right move to make.”
In 2021, the actress welcomed a child via surrogacy, revealing that she chose that route due to miscarriages.
“I chose surrogacy because I had a couple of miscarriages. And I just got tired of trying.
“I don’t have a husband. So, I’m like, I want a child for myself, whether I have a husband or not. “So, what other options would I have? And I wanted it to be my child. “My eggs. Thankfully, my eggs are good. So I did that.”
Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Alhaji Zikrullah Kunle Hassan has announced the completion of the airlift of 95,000 Nigerian Muslims to Saudi Arabia for this year’s Hajj.
The chairman, who spoke to newsmen at the Pilgrims Terminal of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja before the take off of the final flights of Nigerian pilgrims to Saudi Arabia, said: “this year’s operation is about the first time in 10 years when we are going to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with a total number of over 95,000.
“It has taken a while for Nigeria pilgrims to get this number.
“And the beauty of it is that despite the number, we are able to airlift all the pilgrims of the states
“And l must say that even those of the tour operators who are challenged, by 2am after midnight today the last of tour pilgrims will leave Lagos.”
Alhaji Hassan said that the Commission is safe to conclude that every of the operation managed or micromanaged by the NAHCON as far as airlift is concerned would be in the Kingdom and be able to be part of Arafah this year.
The Chairman said however that there would a 2pm flight today, June 24, saying: “that 2 o’clock flight will be the final flight. It consists of no pilgrims.
“Just our staff and some stakeholders.
“We decided to make it 2 o’clock in the event that any Nigerian who has visa and proper documents is anywhere in the country.
“All he needs to do is to get to Abuja Saturday morning and once his documents proven that he’s indeed a bonafide registered hajj pilgrim with visa, he would be carried in that aircraft.”
Alhaji Hassan expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the Vice President Kashim Shettima, for their support during the difficult times, explaining: “we were frightened.
“There was time when to transfer funds was difficult, processing of visa became difficult.
“All our challenges were possibly overcome because we have the support of Mr. President, His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and his Vice President, who were with us at all times when there were difficulties.
“On behalf of NAHCON, indeed the hajj family, we are very grateful to them.”
The Chairman also thanked airlines for their patience and accommodation.
Hassan said that the Commission could not pay the airlines in time yet the airlines were resilient and “that is why we have today to thank Allah.”
The Chairman acknowledged the contributions of NAHCON staff and board members towards successes recorded so far.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), has pegged to 140 points, National Minimum Tolerable score for candidates to be admitted in Nigerian universities.
It also pegged the minimum requirements for admission into polytechnics and colleges of education to 100 and 100 respectively.
The JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, at the 2023 Policy Meeting of Tertiary Institutions in Abuja today June 24, said that all institutions must abide by this rule and must not go below the approved points.
He said that every tertiary institution must ensure its own minimum standard, especially as it relates to institutional screening and grading in the Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE), which must not be lower than 50 marks.
”All institutions must abide by this minimum point. This means that no institution can go below the standard.
”For the 15 private universities that demand between 120 and 130 as minimum points, note that the 140 is sacrosanct and must not be violated.
“This is because the system put in place will not recognise 139, so ensure you comply.”
Oloyede said that institutions must not collect more than N2,000 as screening fees from candidates.
Professor Oloyede announced that 557,626 candidates from 1.8 million applications have been admitted into tertiary institutions across the country in its 2022 admission processes.
According to him, the 2022 admission process is still ongoing due to opportunities given to some key players in the sector to conduct admissions.
The registrar, who discredited notions from the public that admissions were given by JAMB, said admission depended on the availability of candidates five o’level requirements as UTME was only meant for admission ranking.
”As at June 19, tertiary institutions have admitted 557,626 candidates but as we speak today, the admission is up to 600,000 as we target about 700,000. This is because admission is still ongoing.
”We hear about cut-off marks by JAMB but the truth is that not the best candidate who scored the highest mark in UTME that is the best candidate.
”Admission is based on the five o’level results that a candidate possesses because we only make use of UTME for admission ranking. JAMB has not initiated admissions since 2016,” he said.
Speaking on gaps in admission vacancies and why candidates were not admitted, Oloyede said rigidity of programme choice and mismatch of demand and supply were responsible.
He also listed lack of interest for existing vacancies and trail-candidates (No o’level results or awaiting results) as responsible for admission gaps in the tertiary institutions.
He, therefore, said that the onus lied with institutions to determine the National Minimum Tolerable UTME score, often called the ‘Cut-off marks’.
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, David Adejo, urged the stakeholders to ensure fairness, transparency and accountability in the admission processes which determined the fate of millions of students.
Adejo called on admission stakeholders to ensure credibility in the process so that no candidate would be denied admission as well as no deserving candidate was given admission.
”The Federal Ministry of Education have resolved that the fundamental principle of the ministry is openness and this has been provided by JAMB through inclusiveness in the UTME.
”JAMB must ensure sanity and integrity of exams and admission must be based on agreed guidelines to deepen accountability, transparency and fairness.
”Criteria for admissions remained critical by JAMB and all institutions must abide by them as we need to stick to the approved quota for admission,” he said.
In a goodwill message, the Executive Secretary, National Universities commission (NUC), Professor Abubakar Rasheed commended the board on its role in ensuring sanity in the education sector.
Rasheed, represented by the Deputy Executive Secretary of the commission, Chris Maiyaki pledged the commission’s commitment with JAMB to fulfill its mandate.
He said that the policy meeting was a game changer moment for tertiary institutions to take the leading role in the education sector.
Also the Chairman of JAMB Equal Opportunity Group, Professor Peter Okebukola commended the JAMB board for the interest in the education of the visually impaired and other physically challenged candidates.
Okebukola said in the last several years, the board had processed admissions of 2,700 candidates who were visually impaired, those in the correctional centres and the down syndrome candidates.
He added that the Nigerian higher education system was the ‘move and shaker’ of African higher education sector, hence the need to get things right especially in the area of admission processes.
The policy meeting had in attendance representatives from the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Vice Chancellors of Universities and Rectors of Polytechnics.
Others are Provosts of Colleges of Education (COE), Registrars and Admission Officers of tertiary institutions, Heads of Federal Agencies, National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) and the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE).
President Bola Tinubu has left Paris, France where he participated in the summit for ‘A New Global Financing Pact’ hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and headed for London for a private visit.
A statement by Dele Alake, Special Adviser to President Asiwaju on Special Duties, Communications and Strategy, said that the President concluded the Summit in Paris yesterday, June 23 the headed to London.
Alake said that in addition to participation at the Paris event where he represented Nigeria well, President Tinubu also held high-profile sideline meetings with fellow heads of state and government, global business leaders and chief executives of leading multilateral and development finance institutions from around the world.
“The summit afforded the President the opportunity of projecting, on a global stage, his advocacy for widening the fiscal space, economic justice for Africa as the world accelerates the pace of energy transition and the urgency of addressing the pressing issues of poverty and climate change.
“President Tinubu, who was initially scheduled to be back in Abuja on Saturday, will now proceed to London, United Kingdom, for a short private visit.
“The President will be back in the country in time for the upcoming Eid-el-Kabir festival.”
Eid-el-Kabir will be celebrated on Wednesday, June 28, across the Muslim world.
The Times Higher Education (THE) has ranked Covenant University in Ota, Ogun State, among the best ten universities in Africa.
In its inaugural Sub-Saharan Africa University Rankings for 2023, THE placed Covenant University in the seventh position.
While the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, was listed as the best university on the continent, Covenant University is the only institution in Nigeria featured among the best ten universities in Africa.
Four of the best ten universities are from South Africa, while two institutions are from Tanzania were featured.
Coming in as the second-highest ranked institution is the University of Johannesburg, South Africa, while Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences in Tanzania clinched the third spot.
THE noted that the rankings were based on “access and fairness, Africa impact, teaching skills, student engagement, and resources and finance.”
According to the ranking, Nigeria has the highest number of universities, with 37 entries. South Africa follows closely behind with nine universities, while Ghana and Kenya each claim seven.
Somalia and Uganda, on the other hand, each have five institutions featured in the rankings.
Of the 88 ranked institutions, 59 (67 per cent) are publicly funded, while 21 (24 per cent) operate as private, not-for-profit entities.
Private for-profit universities constitute eight institutions (9 per cent), with seven of the best ten universities falling under the public category.
In terms of overall performance, public universities achieved an average score of 50 in the rankings, charging students a median annual fee of £966.
Private institutions, however, received an average score of 43, with not-for-profit establishments charging £1,922 per year and for-profit universities demanding £3,291 annually.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has made it clear that it did not matter who voted for him to be President and who did not vote for him but that he’s now the President of all Nigerians.
He said: “whether you voted for me, or you didn’t vote for me, campaigned for me, or you didn’t campaign for me. I am your president. “By the grace of God, I have to work on your behalf and make in Nigeria a turning point for prosperity.”
President Tinubu, who addressed Nigerians in Diaspora in Paris, France today, June 23, said: “so your president is here. I danced for it and I have to continue to be prepared for it.
“The challenges are enormous but we have hope.Yes. With perseverance, determination and persistency, we can achieve whatever we desire.
“It is clear to me, I know the road and I’ve been through what many of you have been through outside the country.
“I ‘have been in America, in the UK, I have been a night guard, security, a door man in America. But I have achieved my aim.”
The President insisted that Nigeria belongs to all of us and that our diversity is an asset “if we know how to use it for our prosperity.
“We must promote unity, stability and economic justice for every one of us.”
Tinubu said that for a long time, through smuggling, some countries were bleaching us.
“Courage was missing. sometimes i became an advocate of it. Remove this thing (fuel subsidy), but God gave me the opportunity when I danced around, strategized with my team, we won the presidency.
“And the day I was declared winner, I fell almost sick with joy.”
On subsidy removal, the President said: “we are tired of feedings smugglers, making few people rich and subsidizing the next door neighbors.
“Let us see whether we will survive or not but we are going to survive.”
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has described the financial system he inherited as rotten.
“Then the financial system was rotten. Few people making, with our money and then you yourself, you stopped sending money home to our poor parents.
“Several windows that are gone now, is gone.”
Tinubu, who had an interactive session with Nigerians in Diaspora in Paris, France today, June 23, said that the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), “is in the hands of authorities. Something is being done about that. They will sort themselves out.”
President Tinubu said that it is possible that some people were using the roten financial system to promote insecurity in the country.
“Maybe that is how they are fueling insecurity. We have to look at everything. We won’t change the financial system, it will work for you.”
Motorists and transport operators in Nigeria will witness relief soon as the oil marketers have announced the move to develop an alternative to fuel that will sell for between N100 and N110 per liter.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had announced the removal of fuel subsidy, which caused a spike in the product’s price across the country.
The national president of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Chinedu Okoronkwo, said that the association is 90 percent ready to roll out Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) as an alternative fuel, which would sell between N100 to N110 per litre before the end of June.
Speaking in an interview on Channels Television said that CNG would serve as an alternative to petrol.
The IPMAN boss explained that CNG would help reduce Nigeria’s energy consumption cost.
“Very soon, we will roll out. We are 90 percent close to that, which will also unveil many possibilities.”
Okoronkwo said that the petrol subsidy removal had reduced the speed with which Nigeria would have gotten another energy alternative.
“IPMAN has brought relief to a lot of families. “We have used our natural energy, CNG, to power vehicles, generators and even cooking,” Okoronkwo said.
The alternative fuel is expected to reduce the country’s exposure to fuel imports as natural gas would be imported instead.
According to him, the adoption of CNG-powered cars has started gaining speed nationwide due to increased awareness about their efficiency and affordability, compared to ordinary petrol and diesel.
The IPMAN chairman said that if the government accepts its plans, it will act as an assistant, bring relief and create job opportunities.
He said that IPMAN needs to create a market because the demand is already there.
He added that the association had gotten a lot of buy-in from companies overseas.
He revealed that Nigerians are already using liquefied petroleum gas to power their generators, saying that the LPG is about N700 per kg, but CNG will be under N100 to N110 per litre.
“When you check what the impact will be, it will reduce the cost of food because people coming from the hinterlands bring food to the cities.
“From Kano, it takes them about N1.2 million to fuel trucks with diesel, but with this CNG, it will cost them about N150,000 to N200,000.
“About a million naira is saved, which will translate to cheaper food and open up a lot of other businesses.
“It will provide cheaper energy to drive the processing zones like the agro-based industries, where the gas will also create a lot of impacts. “CNG does not replace PMS, but it is a choice. “We are talking of something that will help your purse and not deepen it.
“CNG would be a game changer for Nigerians as it will be the best palliative instead of sharing money.”
The Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria in Kaduna State has emerged winner at the Huawei ICT Competition for the 2022-2023 Global Final held in China.
Information reaching us at Greenbarge Reporters online newspaper said that about 80 universities worldwide participated and 146 teams from 36 countries.
Before the Final, more than 110,000 students from more than 2,000 universities in 74 countries and regions around the world took part in the ICT Competition.
107 team from 36 countries reach the Global final.
Maryam Jimoh Olalade, Haruna Anas, Ahmad Abdullahi and Elayo Aliyu Isah represented the institution that won the prize.
The Acting Inspector-General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun has announced move to establish a Quick Intervention Squad to tackle the menace of crimes and criminality in the country.
Egbetokun, who spoke today, June 23, in Abuja during his inaugural conference with Strategic Police Managers, consisting of officers from the rank of Comissioners of Police and above, said “the Nigeria Police Force under my command, in its quest to stamp out violent crimes and their detrimental and debilitating effects on the security and safety of our society, will forge ahead to tackle the menace of crimes and criminality head on.
“This will be done with the establishment of a specialized Quick Intervention Squad which will comprise combat ready Police Mobile Force personnel with effective and enhanced training in crisis de-escalation and violent crime reduction strategies.
“This will lead to a review of the engagement patterns of the Police Mobile Force in a bid to restore the days of glory of the Police Mobile Force as a punching arm of the Police,” he said.
The IGP said that his administration would embrace innovation and technology as powerful allies in the fight against crime.
According to him, the world is evolving at an unprecedented pace, and so the Nigeria Police should adapt to the evolving landscape of crime.
He said that criminals were presently more sophisticated, more organised and more ruthless than ever before.
Egbetokun said that the Nigeria Police would leverage cutting-edge tools, data analytics and intelligence networks to stay one step ahead of the criminals, seeking to disrupt the peace of the country.
The I-G said that this would be achieved through a robust and effective human and technical intelligence gathering process to enhance the capacity of personnel.
“By harnessing the power of technology, we can make our streets safer, our investigations more efficient and our communities more resilient.
“We cannot afford to be reactive; we must be proactive in our approaches by equally collaborating with other security agencies, both domestic and international to strengthen our intelligence network.”
The I-G said that his administration would also prioritise the enhancement of the Nigeria Police training curriculum with special focus on attitudinal and behavioural changes for new recruits and reorientation programme for serving officers.
The police boss said that the idea was to further refine the perception of officers to concepts of human rights, rule of law and citizen-focused policing.
He said that the new training curriculum would be produced with inbuilt tests, designed to weed out individuals with negative mentality and high tendency for violence from recruits.
The I-G said his administration would also make a case for improved welfare for officers to ensure the availability of resources, trainings and support necessary to carry out their duties professionally.
“To this end, my administration will intensify collaboration with relevant stakeholders for the resuscitation of the Police Officer Support Unit (POSU) of the Police Medical services.
“This will serve as a confidential support and counseling facility for all police officers.”
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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has described the financial system he inherited as rotten.
Motorists and transport operators in Nigeria will witness relief soon as the oil marketers have announced the move to develop an alternative to fuel that will sell for between N100 and N110 per liter.
The Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria in Kaduna State has emerged winner at the Huawei ICT Competition for the 2022-2023 Global Final held in China.
The Acting Inspector-General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun has announced move to establish a Quick Intervention Squad to tackle the menace of crimes and criminality in the country.
