Atiku, Ezekwesili sign peace pact today

The Presidential Candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar and his Allied Congress Party of Nigeria counterpart, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, are to sign the peace accord on the conduct of the 2019 elections today. 

The two candidates and some others were not present when President Muhammadu Buhari, who is the candidate of the All Progressives Congress signed the accord in Abuja on Tuesday. 

The National Peace Accord was convened by eminent Nigerians led by a former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd). 

Investing in young people’s health and education is the best way for a country to unlock productivity...says Goalkeepers Report (Gates Foundation)

Africa is a young continent. Nearly 60 percent of Africans are under the age of 25. Compare that to 27 percent of Europeans. The median age across Africa is 18. Compare that to 35 in North America (or 47 in Japan).

Recently, there’s been a lot of discussion about what happens if large numbers of young people in the poorest countries are denied opportunities to build better lives. People worry about insecurity, instability, and mass migration. We wish they would also recognize young people’s enormous potential to drive growth. They are the activists, innovators, leaders, and workers of the future.

Investing in young people’s health and education is the best way for a country to unlock productivity and innovation, cut poverty, create opportunities, and generate prosperity. Human capital is not a magic bullet, but it has played a pivotal role in the success of emerging economies around the world.

Remembrance ceremony to mark 17th anniversary of September 11

It is a somber day filled with tears and tributes as New York City and millions across the country mark the 17th Anniversary of the September 11th terror attacks.

There were moments of silence, volunteer projects and a new monument to victims, after a year when two attacks demonstrated the enduring threat of terrorism in the nation's biggest city.

The events of that terrible day and the weeks, months and years that followed are never forgotten, nor are the memories of those killed by terrorists at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a field in Pennsylvania. Additionally, we remember all those who have died from 9/11-related illnesses from their heroic work at ground zero and those who suffer today.

Family and friends of the victims, survivors, rescuers and others once again gathered on at the memorial plaza where the World Trade Center's Twin Towers once stood, this time on a misty Tuesday morning.

Margie Miller was among them, having traveled from her home in Baldwin as she does 10 or so times a year to remember her husband, Joel Miller. Only a few fragments of his remains were recovered.

"To me, he is here," she said. "This is my holy place."

NNPC/SNEPCo National University Scholarship Program For Nigerians 2018

The Shell Nigeria Exploration Production Company (SNEPCo) in collaboration with NNPC announces its National University Scholarship Program for Nigerians who are willing to study in Nigeria.

This scholarship is provided to promote academic excellence and improve the skills of young Nigerians.

This scholarship program is open to FULL TIME students studying any of the under listed courses in Universities within Nigeria:

• Agricultural Science
• Chemical / Process Engineering
• Chemistry
• Civil Engineering
• Economics
• Electrical Engineering
• Finance
• Geophysics
• Geoscience / Geology
• Instrumentation Engineering
• Marine Engineering
• Materials / Corrosion Engineering
• Mathematics / Applied Mathematics
• Mechanical / Aerospace Engineering
• Medicine
• Metallurgical Engineering
• Mining Engineering
• Petroleum Engineering
• Pharmacy
• Physics / Applied Physics
• Process Control Engineering

Application Deadline: 24th September 2018

Eligible Countries: Nigeria

Type: Undergraduate

Eligibility

• Applicants must be citizens of Nigeria.
• Applicant must not be a beneficiary of any other scholarship (National or International).
• Applicants must currently be in their second year of full-time study in a Nigerian University accredited by the National Universities Commission (NUC)
• Applicants must have a minimum CGPA of 3.0 in a 5-grade system(attach transcripts or official records).

Application Process: Please take the following steps to access the application form:

• Use the direct link https://www.nnpc-snepco-scholarship.shell.com/
• Every applicant should have a valid personal email account (for communication purposes)
• Candidates who meet the above entry qualifications should apply online at www.nnpc-snepco-scholarshipshellnigeria.com and to provide the required personal and educational details, and load scanned copies of the following:
• A recent passport-sized photograph of the applicant (i.e. jpeg format, not more than 200kilobytes);
• University or JAMB (UTME or D/E) Admission Letter;
• Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME) Scores;
• ‘O’ Level Result(s); and ‘A’ Level /OND /NCE Result(s) as applicable; and
• Letter of Identification from State (showing Local Government) of Origin.
• Students are to upload their 100level results

In memoriam: Kofi Annan (1938-2018)

The late Kofi Annan

In 2002, he helped set up “The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria”. It has since secured billions of dollars for over 1000 programmes in over 150 countries.

In 2001, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his humanitarian work.

These and many other issues including governance and democracy in Africa are issues he highlighted in his book “Interventions: A Life in War and Peace”.

In one chapter, Annan described how at a Press conference in Gabon, just as his tenure began as UN Secretary-General in 199, a journalist asked him why he often criticised African governments, to which he replied: “I work a lot for Africa and I recognise its hardships, but I reserve the right to criticise Africans.”

He later told New African: “The struggle that led to independence in many African nations, sometimes led to the creation of national movements, and not necessarily political parties.

“When independence was achieved in some of these countries, they often found themselves in one big group.

“This led to a party-regime where the leaders did not tolerate differences, and stayed on. The sort of qualities that make dynamic, and revolutionary fighters, are not necessarily the same qualities you need to run a nation. This leads to difficulties.”

Annan believed that Africa must look beyond its colonial past to try and understand its current problems.

In other words, Africa must look at itself, if it is to prosper, socially and economically.

An optimist by nature, and a pragmatist who spoke his mind, Annan believed this is already happening.

“African governments are becoming more sensitive to democratic demands.

“This is because civil society is putting pressure on the politicians to do the right thing. We are now at the stage where we are seeing the generational change of leaders, who are better educated, and who know what they want from themselves, and their fellow citizens.”

Story by: reGina Jane Jere, a Zambian-born London-based journalist

Soldier in secret unit dies in training accident

Sgt. Maj. Christopher Nelms

A highly decorated soldier from the Army’s elite Delta Force died last month after a free-fall parachute training accident the military did not make public.

Sgt. Maj. Christopher Nelms, 46, died July 1 from injuries sustained when his parachute failed to fully open during a June 27 jump at Laurinburg-Maxton Airport, N.C., about 40 miles southwest of Delta’s home post of Fort Bragg, N.C. “He was fighting it the whole way down,” said a former Delta Force officer familiar with the accident.

Presidency says Northern elders, others selfish, shedding crocodile tears

The Presidency on Friday came down hard on some leaders who recently faulted the way President Muhamamdu Buhari is handling the nation’s security challenges, describing them as selfish leaders.

Leaders of some socio-cultural organisations led by the Northern Elders Forum, had issued a communiqué accusing Buhari’s administration of incompetence in handling the security situation in the country.

But the Presidency, in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said it considered the communiqué “as the shedding of crocodile tears by selfish leaders.”

Shehu claimed that the leaders felt alienated after a transparent and accountable system “halted their disproportionate survival on resources of the state.”