President Bola Tinubu, on arrival in Bissau, the capital of Guinea-Bissau, paid a visit to the Nigerian Troops under the ECOWAS Stabilisation Force, reminding the Nigerian armed forces that the country depends on them.

According to a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Special Duties, Communication and Strategy, Mr Dele Alake, the President told the troops that he was in their camp to show solidarity and to let them know their country is proud of them and their loyalty.

He further reminded the troops, led by their Commander, Brigadier-General Alhassan Grema, that Nigeria is a giant on the African continent, recalling the country’s contributions to the sustenance of democratic culture anywhere in the world.

He, however, expressed his appreciation and gratitude to the soldiers and their Commander, Brigadier-General Grema, for their dedication and service to Nigeria and their host country, adding that Nigeria would continue to support democracy in West Africa and around the world.

“I am here to show solidarity with you. I want to assure you we are committed to supporting peace and democracy not only in West Africa but around the world.

“Nigeria is a giant that has made its mark in Sierra Leone and Liberia and other places. We count on your support for the defence of constitutional order. I heard your allowances have been paid up to date. Nothing else should make you angry. We will continue to build a virile force.

“We are proud of you. Proud of your loyalty. Nigeria depends on you. There will be peace and progress in our country,” President said.

Brigadier-General Grema expressed the appreciation of the troops to President Tinubu for being the first Commander-in-Chief in Nigeria’s history to visit his soldiers outside the shore of the country.

The 63rd Ordinary Session summit, which will open on Sunday, July 9, 2023, will be the first international engagement of the President within the African continent since he assumed office on May 29, 2023.

President Tinubu, whose plane touched down at the International Airport in Bissau at exactly 5.30 pm, local time, will be the centre of attraction at the summit.

The 16 regional leaders are expected to address memoranda on pressing sub-regional issues including the report of the 50th Ordinary Session of the Mediation and Security Council (MSC) covering security challenges faced by the member countries, Report of the 90th Ordinary Session of ECOWAS Council of Ministers on the financial situation of the body and the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Other matters slated for consideration by the leaders are the Report on the status of Transition in the Republics of Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea, Memoranda on the ECOWAS Single Currency Programme and the Report on Obstacles to Free Movement of Goods on the Abidjan- Lagos corridor.

While in Guinea-Bissau, the Nigerian leader is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings and have other engagements on the sidelines of the summit.

On the entourage of the President on the trip are National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; Acting Governor of the Central Bank, Dr. Folashodun Shonubi; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Adamu Ibrahim Lamuwa.

; Permanent Secretary Ministry of Defence, Dr. Ibrahim Kana; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Mr. Aliyu Ahmed; and ECOWAS Permanent Representative, Ambassador Musa Nuhu.

Others on the entourage include former Governors, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi), Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano), Abubakar Badaru (Jigawa) and Senator Abu Ibrahim from Katsina State.

Credit to: thenationonlineng.net

To increase access to secondary school education for 3,300 out of school children in the Western Area of Sierra Leone, Childfund in collaboration with Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) has on Friday 9th June handed over construction sites to companies for the construction of secondary schools.

The official handing over ceremony took place at the Sierra Leone Muslim Congress Secondary School, Eastern and Sengbeh Pieh Secondary School, Hamilton respectfully.

The three-year project (April 2023- December 2025) will be implemented by ChildFund Sierra Leone in partnership with the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary School (MBSSE) in 6 schools in the Western Urban and Rural Districts. The total cost of the project is USD 1,555,000 (One Million Five Hundred and Fifty Five Thousand).

The two construction companies, Associate Investment Enterprises and HI Construction and General Services would construct two set of three classrooms block with office, store, ramp and railing, two set of separation VIP Latrines with menstrual hygiene for girls and urinal for boys.

They would also construct two mechanised borehole with solar power, six taps and with Elevated Water Tower with two 10,000 Litter water tank.

Delivering her statement on behalf of the Country Director of ChildFund, Victor Kamara , the Programs and Sponsorship Director for ChildFund, Isatu O.C Venn said Childfund is an international organization that promotes societies whose individuals and institutions participate in valuing, protecting and advancing the worth and rights of children especially girls.

She said they have been in Sierra Leone since 1985 and their main focus is on the protection of children, adding that they implement their work on three live stages, stage one they target children from 0-5 years, stage two 6-14 years and stage three is from 15-25 years.

She further said for the construction of schools fall under stage two where they focus on having children that are educated and confidence,adding that last year they did assessment of various schools.

She said the project is an inclusion, noting that they are also looking at children with disabilities, pregnant girls and sucking mothers.

She said they work with the deputy directories in identifying the schools and luckily Sierra Leone Muslim Congress and Sengbeh Pieh Secondary Schools were among the schools selected, so she congratulated both schools because they were others out in the country that are looking for support.

“The main focus of the project is training of teachers on the code of conduct and radical inclusion, construction of classrooms to decongest over crowing in the schools, construct VIP latrines to make sure t6hat we improve on sanitation and handwashing in schools, so it a three year project for different schools in the country so we are targeting two years this year. We are requesting for support from the schools, community stakeholders to maintain the structures that will be constructed,” she said.

Also speaking, Compliance Advisor from Korea, Grace Eunhye Yong stated that the project is geared towards the fulfilment of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 and the government’s National Policy on Radical Inclusion in Schools.

She said the reason why the project was chosen in Sierra Leone was that the country has high poverty rate and gender inequality which cause serious threat to children’s education.

She added that the rate of girls dropping out of schools is also high, so the project will promote intervention to reduce social control discrimination and promote educational rights among out-of-school adolescent girls.

She further said the purpose of the project is to increase access to quality education and to provide safe, inclusive and equal education services to pupils.

She said the project will also improve community’s awareness on education.

“Today, we are here to create a safe in educational environment for pupils, during this project the school will create safe educational environment with classrooms, gender toilet that will be use by girls and proving drinking water sanitation for them. I want to assure you all that we will not stop here but we will strive until the end when all children have rights to education,” she said.

Speaking from the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary School Education, Suliman Sandy applauded KOICA for supporting President Bio’s flagship program, noting that KOICA has for over decades been supporting Sierra Leone’s educational sector.

He added that the Ministry is charged with education programmes for all pupils in the country, so they were happy for the support because President Bio places premium on human capital development, so the KOICA and ChildFund intervention is a step in the right direction.

He continued that the project is geared towards ensuring that out of school girls are supported to continue their education and communities are meaningfully engaged in the protection of marginalized children and enrolling them to school.

He concluded that the 6 schools that are due to be constructed in the Western Area will help return a lot of drop out girls and urged all stakeholders in the educational sector to come together and build a sustainable Sierra Leone for the project to succeed.

In a statement from the Principal of Sengbe Pieh Memoral Secondary School, Brima Kamara commended KOICA and ChildFund for such a support and encouraged the donors to fund more educational projects.

He said the project serves as a morale booster to teachers, pupils and community stakeholders because it will increase the number of classrooms for pupils to have proper accommodation, so he pleaded that such projects are to be established all across the country.

He promised that they would make sure that they take good care of the structures that would be constructed in due time.

The handing over ceremony attracted stakeholders in the communities, pupils, parents, ex-pupils, engineers from the two companies and members of the Fourth Estate.

Credit to: allafrica.com

“The lion does not turn around when a small dog barks.” – Maasai Proverb (Maasai Tribe, Kenya, Tanzania)

It is not every day that a Nigerian quits a lucrative job at Shell to focus on running marathons across the world. But that is what Adedayo Akinbode did, and within 10 years, she has participated in over 100 marathons across 77 countries on five continents.

And guess what, she is far from resting on her oars, as her goal is to push that figure from 77 to a record-breaking 196 countries around the world. Speaking with The Guardian, Akinbode said her participation in marathons has created awareness about Nigeria, adding that visiting countries where Nigerians are rarely heard of pushes her even further.

“It is quite a challenging endeavour, especially considering that I don’t have the necessary funds readily available. To date, I have managed to run marathons in 77 countries, fully self-funded. However, I am reaching a point where I require additional support to continue pursuing my goal.

“The more I visit countries where Nigerians are rarely heard of or where they have seldom encountered a person of African descent, the more determined I become to explore even more of these places.

“The highlight of my participation is when I hear the announcer proclaim, ‘Here comes number so so, Adedayo from Nigeria’, and regardless of whether they have heard of Nigeria before, everyone in the vicinity shouts, Nigeria!

“This moment, for me, is the epitome of accomplishment, as it signifies that I am effectively promoting Nigeria and spreading awareness about my country.”

A graduate of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering of Obafemi Awolowo University, formerly the University of Ife, Osun State, Akinbode did not start participating in marathons because she was jobless.

Career-wise, she started as a Management Trainee at Cadbury Nigeria Plc, where she rose to become the Planning Manager. Thereafter, she joined Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company where she rose to become the Low-Risk Contracting Team Lead. She is now a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS),

Even though she participated in her first two marathons as a corporate executive at Shell, her love for marathons fostered her quitting the job to enable her to continue to participate in marathon events across the world. She, however, maintains that participating in marathons is not for profit, as she does not run for the money involved.

Surprisingly, her foray into marathon events came from initial efforts to keep fit and healthy.
“I would say that running marathons didn’t choose me, but rather I stumbled onto running in 2012,” she said. “It happened during my annual checkup when my doctor informed me that I was obese and had high cholesterol levels. He advised me to change my lifestyle, and eliminate certain foods, warning that if I didn’t make these changes, my life could be at risk. However, I struggled to make those necessary changes and simply ignored the report.

“Fortunately, in 2013, my company introduced a programme called the Global Corporate Challenge. This initiative involved participating in a global event where each individual was encouraged to achieve 10,000 steps per day. Before the challenge began, we were given speedometres to track our steps without making any immediate lifestyle changes. After two weeks, I found myself consistently recording 700 to 800 steps, making me one of the highest achievers in my company.

“When the event officially started two weeks later, we gained access to see the step counts of participants from other parts of the world. I noticed people from Canada and Germany recording an impressive 20,000 to 30,000 steps per day. Being a highly competitive individual, I didn’t like being at the bottom rung of the ladder.

“There was a particular person in the forum who recorded over 27,000 steps, so I asked him how he achieved the steps. He explained that he avoided using the elevator, walked to work, and even ran sometimes.

“After hearing his advice, I decided to stop using the elevator in my office building, even though I worked on the 14th floor and the conference room was on the 16th floor, while the canteen was on the 10th floor. Previously, my driver would drop me off near the building entrance to go park in the car park. However, I instructed him to park the car in the farthest spot, away from the entrance. He was concerned about how I would reach the office from there, but I assured him that I would walk.

“By making these adjustments, I started increasing my step count even before the day officially began. Initially, it wasn’t easy, but I gradually became accustomed to the changes. My daily step count went up to 5,000 and then 6,000, and I was quite pleased with my progress. However, one day I arrived home with nearly 9,000 steps, and I realised I was so close to reaching the 10,000 mark. Determined, I decided to walk on my street to achieve my very first 10,000 steps. It was a success.”

As a result, Akinbode discovered that it was relatively easier to reach the 10,000 steps on weekdays, though her step count would decrease on weekends. Recognising this pattern, she decided to make a change.

“On Saturdays, I intentionally started walking around the streets, not necessarily running, but maintaining a brisk pace, to ensure that I reached my 10,000 steps. On Sundays, I attended church and danced energetically, which contributed to my step count as well.

“So, one of the weekends, I was walking and it started raining. I contemplated returning home without reaching my goal or continue walking in the rain. I decided it was better to continue in the rain to achieve my 10,000 steps despite concerns from people in the neighbourhood who started talking and questioning my actions.

“Even my security guard asked if everything was all right. With these thoughts in mind, I was afraid that everyone would think there was something wrong with me because I was walking in the rain.

“Fortunately, while contemplating this, I noticed another woman, Tayo Badejo, walking towards me in the rain. I felt relieved and excited to see her. She expressed her gratitude, saying she was glad that people wouldn’t consider her crazy for walking in the rain.

“I responded, sharing that I had been thinking the same thing. She then mentioned that they were doing a similar challenge at her workplace. One day, when we were out running, she said, ‘Oh, do you know we can register to run a marathon?’ I asked, ‘What is a marathon? She explained, ‘It’s when people run 42 kilometres.’ I questioned, ‘Why would anybody run 42 kilometres?’ She replied, “When you get home, go to YouTube and search for the New York Marathon or Boston Marathon.” So, I got home, watched it and I liked it. I did a lot of research and only one per cent of the world’s population have run marathons or can run marathons.

“I made a decision that I must be part of that one per cent. I told Tayo that I wanted to go for it, and she suggested that before we attempt the full marathon, we should start with the half marathon, which was coming up in Accra, Ghana. Other people joined, and she trained us.

“Then, in September 2013, we all went to Accra for a half marathon. It was my very first, and I had a big number with my name on the vest. On the streets of Accra, there were people lined up, especially towards the finish line, and they would shout your name. My number was 607. ‘607, Dayo, go go go!’ I felt like the whole world was giving me attention. I loved it so much.

“After that race, when I got back to the hotel room, I wanted another one. So, I went online to look for another half marathon, but I couldn’t find one. However, I found the Dubai Marathon slated for January 2014, which had a 10-kilometer race and a full marathon. Since I just finished running the half marathon, which is 21 kilometres, I said to myself, ‘I traveled from Nigeria to Ghana to run 21 kilometres. I cannot go from Nigeria to Dubai to run only 10 kilometres. I will go for 42 kilometres,” she recalled.

Akinbode stated that before she had the opportunity to talk to anybody, who might have either encouraged or discouraged her, she registered to participate in the Dubai marathon.

She added: “I booked my flight ticket and hotel. This was in September 2013 for an event coming up in January 2014. To the glory of God, I completed that marathon. When I crossed the finish line, my friends were nowhere to be found. I returned to the hotel, and informed them I finished; they couldn’t believe it. However, it served as proof that with determination and preparation, you can achieve what you set your mind to. It is worth mentioning that at the time, I was 46 years and had never participated in any sport as a child. I was more focused on academics.

“In 2014, at the age of 47, I ran my very first marathon. Around the same time, during my comprehensive check-up in 2013, I discovered that a lot of positive changes had taken place in my body. I was informed about no longer being obese. My cholesterol levels became normal, and my endurance improved.

“After completing the Dubai Marathon, I had the desire to run another one. My initial goal was to join the one per cent club of marathoners, but I found so much enjoyment in it that I decided to pursue another. Thus, I traveled to Tanzania for a marathon. It was in Tanzania that my life truly changed, as I met people from various parts of the world, who were somewhat boastful about their achievements.

“I remember encountering a Japanese man who proudly declared that the upcoming marathon would be his 1000th, while others mentioned it would be their 10th or 20th marathon.”

To boost her participation in marathons, Akinbode joined several clubs including the Marathon Globe Trotters Club. She revealed that as she participated in marathons across the world, she discovered that many runners often aspire to run in Nigeria to advance their ranks.

“At that time, Nigeria didn’t have a marathon that meets global standards. When I shared the idea of starting one with my fellow runners, they encouraged me. I initially hesitated; they assured me of their support in organising it. In 2017, we gave birth to the Ile Ife Heritage Marathon, which we meticulously organised to meet global standards.”

“Every year, my runner friends from around the world come to participate in this marathon. Remarkably, we had 30 participants in the inaugural edition. They returned to their home countries and began sharing their positive experiences in Nigeria.

“The marathon takes place in Ile Ife, starting at the University of Ife. The vice-chancellor inaugurates the event, and we run through the campus before reaching the finish line at the residence of the Oni of Ife, accompanied by cultural dances and festivities. Participants expressed excitement at having the opportunity to meet the monarch and cherish the handshake they received from the king of Ife.

“As a result, visitors leave with fond memories and spread the word about their positive experiences in Nigeria. To date, we have welcomed people from 16 different countries to our marathon in Nigeria.”

Credit to: Theguardian

* To attend ECOWAS summit Sunday

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will depart Abuja for Guinea-Bissau on Saturday, July 8, to attend the 63rd Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), in Bissau, capital of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau.

According to a release issued Friday by the Special Adviser to the President on Special Duties, Communications and Strategy, Mr Dele Alake, the summit, which holds on Sunday, July 9, is expected to address memoranda on pressing sub-regional issues including Report of the 50th Ordinary Session of the Mediation and Security Council (MSC) covering security challenges faced by the member countries; Report of the 90th Ordinary Session of ECOWAS Council of Ministers on the financial situation of the body and the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), as well as Report on the status of Transition in the Republics of Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea.

Other issues slated for discussion include: Memoranda on the ECOWAS Single Currency Programme and the Report on Obstacles to Free Movement of Goods on the Abidjan-Lagos corridor.

President Tinubu will be accompanied by some members of the Presidential Policy Advisory Council and other top government officials.

He is due back in the country at the end of the meeting.

Credit to: thisdaylive

FORMER Executive Secretary of National Universities Commission, NUC, Emeritus Prof. Peter Okebukola, said yesterday that the case of Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma should be a warning to potential Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, cheats.

According to him, Mmesoma’s episode has  shown that JAMB  has moved several steps ahead of examination cheats.

Mason Mount says it “became clear that I wasn’t in Chelsea’s plans” as he explains why a £60m ($76m) transfer to Manchester United has been made.

• Spent 18 years with the Blues
• Looking for a new challenge
• Confident he can impress

WHAT HAPPENED? The England international, who came through the academy system at Stamford Bridge, is taking on a new challenge after 18 years tied to the Blues – during which he made 195 appearances. Mount did figure in 35 games last season, but only scored three goals and was not a guaranteed starter. He had also entered the final year of his contract in west London, with the decision taken to head for Old Trafford and rediscover a professional spark.

WHAT THEY SAID: Mount has told MUTV of leaving his comfort zone: “Several months ago, it became clear that I wasn’t in Chelsea’s plans moving forward. Once I knew that United were involved, my decision was made up. A massive club, huge iconic players have played here, and I wanted to be a part of that from the beginning. Getting in early and ready for pre-season to start was a main objective of mine as well.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Mount has been handed the iconic No.7 shirt at United and believes he can make an important contribution in the Red Devils’ engine room. He added on his role in Erik ten Hag’s plans: “I’ve always seen myself as a midfielder or a number eight that can obviously get forward, attack, try and score goals, create goals, but also be able to do the other side as well and defend and help the team when we’re under pressure. That’s obviously a massive focus of mine, being able to come here and help the boys in that situation and I know what I can bring to this team and now it’s about going and doing it on the pitch.”

Credit to: goal.com

A former Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Emeritus Professor Peter Okebukola has averred that the Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma episode should be a warning to potential Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination cheats, that the Board is several jumps ahead of them.

Prof Okebukola who described the incident as unfortunate said many people are unaware of the thoroughness of the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Is-haq Oloyede in promoting the integrity of JAMB-conducted examinations.

Mmesoma had claimed to have scored 362 in the 2023 UTME and was celebrated as the highest scorer of the examination. The accusation by JAMB that the result was fake and manipulated by the candidate from her original score of 249 triggered reactions from the public.

However, after being presented with incontrovertible evidence, the 19-year-old candidate from Anambra state, admitted that her score according to a text message she received from the Board was 249.

While reacting to the development on Thursday in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja, Okebukola who is the immediate Chairman Governing Board of the National Open University of Nigeria, NOUN said this was a confirmation that “Prof. Oloyede and his able team at JAMB “are jumps ahead of such unscrupulous persons”.

He has accordingly called on all educational institutions and examination bodies to adopt the Oloyede model and techniques of stamping out examination malpractice in the school and public examinations in the country.

The statement read in part: “The findings from my usually-reliable sources confirm that there is some hanky-panky with the results which Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma claim to have obtained in the 2023 UTME.

“I think many people are unaware of the thoroughness of Professor Is-haq Oloyede in promoting the integrity of JAMB-conducted examinations.

“He loves all candidates and will stop at nothing to ensure that unadulterated results are published and duly qualified candidates are admitted to our tertiary institutions based on existing vacancies.

“On the other hand, he will also stop at nothing to penalise any centre or candidate whose integrity will tarnish the image of JAMB.

“urge all our educational institutions and examination bodies to adopt/adapt the Oloyede model and techniques of stamping out examination malpractice in our school and public examinations.

“You cannot get away with bad practice with Professor Oloyede who is globally-acclaimed as a leading light in higher education in Africa. The indisputable facts that I have, point to my advising the candidate to subject herself to the decision of JAMB.

“Rather than flex muscles and raise unnecessary sentiments on the matter, a penitent posture which is widely broadcast with the same volume as the on-going aggressive posture has the high chance of mellowing whatever sanctions JAMB is planning to apply.

“About two weeks ago, June 24 precisely, at the 2023 policy meeting of JAMB which I had the honour of attending, Professor Is-haq Oloyede, provided case studies of the extent to which candidates and some examination centres could go in the attempt to cheat their way to high scores.

“Our jaws dropped at the meeting when we were informed that the examples are just the tip of the iceberg. This episode is a warning to potential UTME cheats, that Professor Oloyede and his able team at JAMB are jumps ahead of such unscrupulous persons.

“I urge all our educational institutions and examination bodies to adopt/adapt the Oloyede model and techniques of stamping out examination malpractice in our school and public examinations”.

Credit to: Theguardiannews