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Folarin Kehinde

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Nigerian Airforce Kill Terrorist Leader In Kastina

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

Scores of terrorists, including one of the notorious commanders, Alhaji Abdulkareem Lawal, aka Abdulkareem Boss, have been killed in airstrikes coordinated by the Air Component of Operation Hadarin Daji, at the weekend.

The successful strikes were targeted at key terrorists’ enclaves and hideouts at Rugu Forest in Katsina State.

Boss, who has been on the radar of the Nigerian Military and other security agencies, was killed in the operation.

According to military sources, the deceased Boko Haram Commander was based in the Marina area of Safana Local Government Area and was responsible for several terrorist attacks, animal rustling and kidnappings.

A source said: “He was known to regularly invite terrorists’ groups from other areas and regions to join him in attacks on targets.

“Specifically, he was part of the terrorist group that carried out attacks that eventually led to the death of the Nigerian Police Area Commander of Dutsin ma on 5 July 2022.

“Reports filtering in have since confirmed that Abdulkareem Boss was neutralised in the precision strike alongside 27 of his foot soldiers.

“Reports have also revealed that air strikes conducted by the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai at Degbawa near Mandara Mountain in Gwoza LGA of Borno State on the 3 August 2022 may have led to the death of a well-known terrorist Kingpin, Alhaji Modu, aka Bem Bem, and some of his fighters.

“It was revealed that Alhaji Modu, a key ISWAP Commander, had converged with others for a morning meeting on an intended attack before they were struck by an array of NAF assault aircraft.

“An assessment of the strike revealed that the entire location was levelled to the ground and sources have since revealed that no fewer than 20 terrorists were confirmed eliminated in the strike.

“Similar strikes were also conducted on terrorists’ hideouts around Abuja.

“Although Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance reports have since indicated that the terrorists fizzled out immediately after carrying out their nefarious acts, credible information have since revealed that threats within Abuja was being orchestrated by terrorists from their hideouts within Kaduna, Niger and Zamfara States.

In view of this, NAF aircraft under Operation Whirl Punch were dispatched to undertake intensive air interdiction operation to degrade/neutralise the terrorists within their identified hideouts in Giwa, Birnin Gwari, Kajuru and Chikun LGA in Kaduna State and Kusasu, Kwaki and Kukere LGA in Niger State.

“The operations were aimed at forestalling them from further planning to cause mayhem within Kaduna and Niger states as well as surroundings around the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

“So far, the identified locations hit by NAF aircraft include Jan Birni, Kusasu, Kauwuri, Kwaki, Ukambo Hill within the Kwiambana Forest as well as Alhaji Chorki Location.

“These locations have been attacked decisively and were struck in successive passes until they went into flames, some casualties who were spotted to be struggling to scamper for safety were effectively mopped up.

“The positive feedback received from ground troops deployed indicated that the terrorists have suffered heavy casualties and their logistics bases razed to the ground.

“The successes of the air strikes underscore NAF’s indefectible commitment to ridding the entire Northern region as well as the FCT of terrorism in collaboration with other security agencies and restoring peace and sanity.”

The successes came about a week after the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and Service Chiefs assured Nigerians of change in strategy and momentum during the National Security Council (NSC) meeting headed by President Buhari.

As a fallout from the meeting, the Chief of Air Staff (CAS) directed the NAF operational and air component commanders to ‘show no mercy’ in decimating terrorists and insurgents in the country.

Giving details on the operation that took out there Commanders, a source said the successes were as a result of careful planning and coordination.

NAF’s Director of Public Relations and Information (DOPRI), Commodore Edward Gabkwet, confirmed that Abdulkareem and his soldiers were taken out in an operation on Saturday night.

He said operations were ongoing and updates would be given at the appropriate time.

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OpinionHeadlines

ASUU STRIKE: “The Problem With The Nigerian University System”.

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

I have been doing a lot of research on why we continually have problems with university education in Nigeria.

Chief of our problem is funding. Just like every other system in Nigeria, over-dependence on the govt for everything is killing our university education. I am yet to see any country in d world with a working university system that runs universities the way we run ours in Nigeria.

Universities in the United Kingdom and their yearly revenue:

Oxford          – £2.5 b

Cambridge   – £2.2 b

UCL               – £1.5 b

Edinburgh    – £1.1 b

Manchester – £1.0 b

Imperial        – £1.0 b

King’s CL      – £901m

Leeds           – £791m

These are the total revenue/income of the top Universities in Britain per year.

Guess what, every dime u see above here is generated by these Unies on their own through income from student fees, govt grants & research grants, as well as generating their own income through charitable fundraising, investments & business activities such as ‘spin-out companies.

Meanwhile, only about a quarter of their income comes from UK student fees. The rest comes from higher fees paid by international students, charitable donations, and investments that Universities make.

I am going somewhere. Let’s break it down.

What’s govt grant? Govt grants make up about 30.6% of total revenue for most UK universities. Students’ fees is about 29.4%. Self-generated income is 20.4% & research grants about 19.6%. It varies with very little margin from University to university.

Therefore, total revenue from non-governmental grants is 69.4% while grants from the government is merely 30.6%. Therefore, in a country that wants to maximize its university educational system, the government’s contribution cannot be more than 35% at most.

We are in trouble with our university education system in Nigeria because we make universities totally dependent on the government for its revenue and running costs. That’s an aberration!

We need a total disruption of our university education system.

What we have always lacked is a leader with the political will to take tough decisions devoid of political correctness. We need to totally reform our university system & the recruitment process of Vice Chancellors.

We have VCs of public Universities behaving like State governors

Lame duck leaders, sitting down & expecting monthly draw down from the Federal government to pay salaries & enjoy the largesse of office and then wait for next month’s drawdown. Our system of administration does not excite nor tax the ingenuity of any man. It makes people lazy.

The University system has become an extension of our politics & ASUU is the political arm. It would take a total reform to unleash the dragon & let Professors prove their mettle as eggheads by leading from the front on how they can generate revenue for the running of our universities.

Recruitment of VCs must take the pattern of recruitment for a multinational where revenue targets are set and the potential candidates must be able to prove how they would meet the revenue targets for their university or go bankrupt.

Negotiation with ASUU is not what we need. They’ve been negotiating for over 30 years and nothing had come out of all the negotiations. The reason is that the federal government can never meet up with the kind of money to really cater to all the Universities.

Universities are not run that way. Govt must hand of 60% of their involvement with university education, or give a moratorium of a 10-year withdrawal plan from university funding. Reduce funding every 2 years, and recruit VCs that are forward looking and ready to work to get grants and endowment for his/her university. Let our public universities be tuition-paying universities, strengthen professional certification for people with skill, and make it recognizable like ICAN does with accounting.

This way people can be proud of their professionalism without a university degree, and be sure they can get a well-paying job.

That way only people who really needed to attend a university would do so. Presently, my boss at work here in the UK has no university degree, but he’s an experienced hand with a deep knowledge of his industry. He consults for government on reforms in the sector and an authority in his field. Under him, we have people with multiple degrees but we all defer to him because he knows his onions.

Presently, a lot of Nigerians with master’s degree are abandoning their degree certificates and getting certification in Project Management, Agile, Business Analysis, and getting into tech jobs that pay well. Nobody cares about what they studied at the University.

What employers are looking and asking for is your certification in technology-related field and your experience in that field to get employment.

I sincerely believe we can revamp this system because we have more to gain if we do or more to lose if we don’t.

by: Kay Lord

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Headlines

Nigeria Now In Worse State Compared To 2015 – SANUSI

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

Muhammadu Sanusi Lamido II, former Emir of Kano, has expressed great concerns about the current state of the country.

He said Nigeria is now in a worse situation compared to what obtained in 2015 when President Muhammadu Buhari took over from former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Sanusi spoke on Thursday in Lagos at the Akinjide Adeosun Foundation (AAF), leadership colloquium and awards.

“This is the only oil-producing country that is grieving at the moment when oil prices have gone up as a result of the Russia/Ukraine war. Our total revenue is not able to service our debt. And if anybody does not understand that we are in a complete mess, we are.

“We were in a deep hole in 2015. And between 2015 and now, we have been digging ourselves into a deeper hole.

“We thought we had a big problem in 2015. 2015 is nothing compared to what will happen in 2023. We have terrorism, we have banditry, we have inflation, we have an unstable exchange rate, and the worst thing is that those in leadership actually think we are going to thank them when they leave office, that we are going to appreciate them. There is no change.

“There is no sense of urgency. If you are running a company and your sales revenue cannot pay interest, you know you’re bankrupt.

“When the total revenue of the Federal Government cannot service debt we are smiling. These are the kinds of questions we need to ask. And the reality is that there are so many Nigerians, who, given the opportunity will do well but they simply cannot contest in that space,” he said.

The former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, hinged the challenge on the lack of vision of some of the country’s leaders.

He added, “What is our vision for Nigeria? Do we have a vision of one country? Do we have a vision of one united country, that lives peacefully with itself — diverse, multicultural, multi-religious but one?

“Leaders after leaders, most of those who have ruled did not have a vision for a united Nigeria. How would you like to be remembered after eight years as a President, after eight years as a governor, eight years as a minister, eight years as Governor of CBN? How will you like history to remember you? They have not thought about it.

“The vast majority of those in office have a vision that is limited to the next election. It is to win. And when you’ve won, you’ve reached a destination, not a journey.”

Source: pointblanknews

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SportsHeadlines

Tobi Amasun Qualifies For 100m Hurdles Final

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

WORLD champion 100m hurdles, Tobi Amusan, on Friday qualified for the final of the women’s 100m hurdles at the ongoing Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Amusan raced to a massive 12.40s to dominate Round 1 Heat 3 to qualify for Sunday’s final.

The world champion has the chance to defend her Commonwealth Games title, which she won in 2018 in Gold Coast, Australia.

Still, she will have to fend off competition from Jamaican duo Danielle Williams, Megan Tapper, England’s Cindy Sembre, Michelle Jenneke of Australia, and Devynne Charlton of Bahamas.

Amusan began the 2022 season in fine form, winning the 2022 Diamond League event in Paris, where she set an African record by 0.01s with a time of 12.41s.

Ese Brume and Ruth Usoro also secured their place in the women’s long jump final.

Brume who competed in Group A finished second with a jump of 6.81m behind Ghana’s Deborah Acquah who topped the group with a jump of 8.85m.

Usoro who competed in Group B finished third with a jump of 6.56m to qualify for the final.

The finals of the women’s 100m hurdles and long jump will take place on Sunday, August 7 at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham.

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Headlines

Planned Sale Of Polaris Bank Speculative – Management

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

The management of Polaris Bank has described reports that the financial institution is set to be sold to a commercial farmer and the Sarkin Sudan of Gombe State, Auwal Lawan Abdullahi, as speculative.

In a statement by the bank spokesperson, it said the report was meant to cause panic, and should be disregarded by stakeholders and the banking sector.

It was alleged that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), allegedly plan to offload Polaris to Abdullahi for N40 billion, seven years after the apex bank took over Skye Bank, during which about N1.1 trillion was reportedly disbursed to rejuvenate the company.

Polaris Bank was previously known as Skye Bank. In 2016, the CBN clampdown on the firm for failing to meet recapitalisation requirements, while the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) prosecuted top executives at the creditors in 2018.

Skye Bank Chairman, Tunde Ayeni; and the Managing Director, Timothy Oguntayo, were prosecuted for money laundering, in a N25.4 billion lawsuit. They later settled out of court in 2022, forfeiting cash and assets valued at N15 billion.

Polaris Bank management admitted that the plan is to sell the lender to private investors, however, before that is done formal notification must be sent to all relevant stakeholders, with regulatory approvals.

The statement reads, “Our attention has been drawn to an online report on the purported sale of Polaris Bank Limited. This publication is speculative, deliberately intended to create panic and should be disregarded by the banking public.

“Stakeholders may recall the regulatory intervention in the erstwhile Skye Bank by the CBN and the subsequent injection of capital via the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) through a bridge bank process, which birthed Polaris Bank in 2018. The bank has since stabilised its operations following the intervention; improving its balance sheet, customer base and profitability.

“Whilst the intention has always been to return the bank to private ownership, such a sale would occur following regulatory approvals with formal notification to all relevant stakeholders. The Bank is committed to ensuring timely communication to the public in such an event.

“The Board and Management hereby reassure its customers, staff and the general public that Polaris Bank remains a stable, strong and credible financial institution, positioned to deliver sustainable value to all its stakeholders.” The management’s statement reads.

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SportsHeadlines

Lewandowski Unveiled As Barcelona Number 9

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

Robert Lewandowski, former Bayern Munich Striker has been unveiled to the Barcelona fans with the number 9 shirt at the Camp Nou on Friday.

Lewandowski was presented as Barcelona’s new No.9 following his €50 million (£42m/$51m) transfer from Bayern Munich.

The European highest goal scorer has inherited the iconic jersey from Memphis Depay, who has been linked with a Camp Nou exit following Lewandowski’s transfer.

Lewandowski turns 34 later this month but dismissed any suggestion that his best years are behind him at his first press conference at Barca’s stadium on Thursday, even though he didn’t hit the net for the club in pre-season.

I think my age is not important right now, it’s just a number. I feel better than when I was 29,” he said.

He added, “I know that Barcelona was not going through an easy time, but when I spoke with Joan and heard about the project and the way they wanted to follow, I thought that the best thing was to make the jump to Barcelona.”

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Headlines

Former Inspector General Of Police Dead

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

Former Inspector General of Police, Mustafa Adebayo Balogun, popularly known as Tafa Balogun, is dead.

He is reported to have died at Reddington Hospital in Lagos

The late Mustafa Adebayo Balogun was born 25 August 1947 in Ila Orangun, Osun State.

He was the Inspector General of Police, IGP, between 2002 and 2005, before he was forced into submitting his letter of resignation to former President Olusegun Obasanjo because of widespread allegations of corruption against him

Prior to that time, Balogun was Police Commissioner in Delta, Rivers and Abia States, respectively. He was also an Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG, in charge of Zone 1 Kano.

On April 4, 2005, Balogun was arraigned at the Federal High Court, Abuja by the economic and financial crime commission, EFCC under Nuhu Ribadu on charges involving about N13bn obtained through money laundering, theft and other sources.

As the case progressed in and out of court, he asked for plea bargain in exchange to return some money and property; nevertheless, he got six months sentence, the greatest part of which was spent on a sick bed at the National Hospital in Abuja.

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OpinionHeadlines

Exposing Waste and Corruption in Lagos State Blue Line Railway Project

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

In 2009, during the tenure of Governor Babatunde Fashola, the Lagos state government commenced the Blue Line railway project. On paper, the railway line is supposed to run from Okokomiko to inner Marina (CMS), a distance of 27 Kilometre, with 13 stations and an end-end journey time of 35 minutes. The project is costing the Lagos government 1.5 billion dollars

The reality however, is that the railway line runs from Miles 2 to CMS, a distance of 14.2 Kilometre. Also, it is light weight, having the ability to carry only passengers not cargo. Even with this lowered distance and quality, the railway line is yet to be completed till this very day.

The reason this rail line is yet to be complete for over 13 years is mainly due to corruption and waste by the Lagos government through successive governors from 2009 till date.

To put it in context, in 2011 the government of Ethiopia began the construction of a heavy railway line capable of carrying cargo and passengers from Addis Ababa to Djibouti, the capital of the republic of Djibouti.

That railway line is 759 Kilometres in distance and its main of objective was to connect Ethiopia to the sea ports of Djibouti. The cost for executing the project was 4.5 billion dollars.

That 759 Kilometres railway line was largely completed in 2016 when testing began. It was commissioned for operations by the President of Ethiopia in 2018.

When you divide the 4.5 billion dollars which the railway line cost Ethiopia by 759 Kilometre, it amounts to 5.2 million dollars per kilometre.

The government of Lagos on the other hand is spending over 54 million dollars per kilometre in constructing their railway line, yet till now it is still to be completed.

This goes to show how far inefficiency, corruption and waste can go in stalling a project whose completion otherwise would have been beneficial to the citizens of Lagos state.

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Headlines

Jamb To Conduct Mop-Up Exams Tomorrow

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) is conducting a mop-up Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) for candidates who could not participate in the examinations for verified reasons.

The mop-up will hold tomorrow being Saturday 6th of August 2022.

JAMB is holding the examination to give equal opportunity to all candidates who are desirous of tertiary education admissions.

No fewer than 1,969 candidates missed the 2022 UTME and Direct Entry (DE) examinations due to fingerprint peculiarities, Bank Verification Number (BVN) challenges and other technical issues, according to data obtained from JAMB.

The data also showed that some candidates had their examination cancelled due to malpractices in 10 examination centres across five states.

JAMB urged the concerned candidates to urgently visit its website on: www.jamb.gov.ng to check their eligibility status and print their mop-up notification slips.

The board warned that there will be no room for excuse for any candidate who misses the opportunity.

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Headlines

Nigerian Airforce Appoints New Branch Chiefs

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

Chief of the Air Staff , Air Marshal Oladayo Amao has approved the immediate appointment and redeployment of new Branch Chiefs, Air Officers Commanding and other senior officers.

The shake up is coming 48 hours after his directive to Air Force Operational and Air Component Commanders to maximize the deployment of firepower against terrorists and other criminal elements.

The newly appointed and redeployed senior officers are expected to assume their new offices on or before Friday, 5 August 2022.

In a statement on Thursday, the Director of Public Relations Information, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, said among the newly appointed Branch Chiefs are Air Vice Marshal Jackson Yusuf, formerly Chief of Training and Operations, now the Chief of Policy and Plans Headquarters NAF, Abuja; and AVM Oluwafemi Ogunmola, former Director of Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance now Chief of Communications Information Systems.

AVM Aliyu Bello, former Chief of Standards and Evaluation is now redeployed as the CTOP, HQ NAF, Abuja while AVM Nkem Aguiyi takes over as the Chief of Air Intelligence, and AVM Hassan Abubakar, former AOC Logistics Command is now the Chief of Standards and Evaluation.

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