Boko Halal, not Boko Haram- Prof. Wole Soyinka

Nobel laureate; Prof Wole Soyinka has advised the Federal Government and government at all levels to use quality education to address the nation’s growing illiteracy, noting that it is lack of education that breeds sinister groups like the Boko Haram.

Prof Soyinka made this remark on Monday, while speaking with journalists in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, where he noted that Halal is the opposite of Haram.

He commended the state government for winning and hosting the World Book Capital city next year, stressing that both the state and the country will benefit from the festival.

Prof Soyinka suggested that the slogan ‘Nigeria is Boko Halal’ should be adopted as the campaign slogan for the World Book Capital.

“When they (Boko Haram insurgents) say Boko Haram, we say Boko Halal” he said.

He explained that Halal; an Islamic term designating any object or an action which is permissible to use or engage in, means “virtue, goodness and peace.”

Islamic fundamentalists that seek the imposition of Sharia law across Nigeria are known as Boko Haram which means ‘western education is sinful.’

FG blocks installation of 10,000 security cameras in Lagos

Governor Fashola

The cold war between the Federal Government and Lagos State Government may be the reason why the latter has stopped the Lagos Safe City Project, a scheme aimed at providing 10,000 solar-powered closed circuit cameras all over the metropolis, it was learnt.

The enquiry is now necessary due to the spate of incessant kidnapping in Lagos.

The only time we make use of CCTV cameras is when our investigation takes us to a hotel or mall with security cameras. But if it is a crime committed on a Lagos road, forget it,” A source said.

Governor Babatunde Fashola had stated in January 2009 that the 10,000 cameras the state planned to install were to help to reduce crime in the state.

At a demonstration event, Fashola said the number of policemen in the state was inadequate considering the number of people in the state.

He said at the time, “Eighteen million people cannot be protected and policed by 33,000 people. This is impossible. No matter how much we try to increase the number of policemen, we cannot continue to do the same thing and expect a different result.

I cannot comprehend this nation's problem. Sometimes you feel the word "nation" when referring to Nigeria is a misnomer. We just need to move forward urgently.

NLC suspends planned strike, as FG meets demands

THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), on Tuesday, suspended the planned strike and protest march scheduled for today in Abuja and Lagos, as well as other state capitals across the federation, over the plights of Nigerian pensioners.

The suspension followed the decision of the Federal Government to meet the demands of the congress and the National Union of Pensioners (NUP), after a crucial meeting held with the NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in Abuja, on Monday night.The Federal Government has also set up a joint committee of labour and government( as usual), headed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, to harmonise the payments and “resolve sundry matters connected with pension payment and administration of pension funds.

”Addresing a press conference after its Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting at the Labour House, Abuja, on Tuesday, NLC president, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar, said the CWC “has suspend forthwith the work stoppage/protest march billed to take place on Wednesday, April 10.”But he warned that the strike/protest march would resume without warning, if, “by the end of April or thereabouts, the Federal Government fails to implement all it has promised to do.

LOL! Nigeria, the land of committees and bellicosity- I hail o!

Amnesty: Boko Haram gives FG conditions

A leader of the Boko Haram sect, Muhammad Marwan, has said that if the Federal Government would not blackmail or deceive them as was done in the past, they will be  ready to avail themselves for dialogue as was initiated by the Northern Elders Forum.

 Marwan spoke  in an interview with the Hausa Service of the Voice of America (VOA) monitored in Kaduna on Tuesday, adding that  he was speaking on behalf of members of Jamatul Ahlus Sunnati lil Daawati wal Jihad, otherwise known as Boko Haram, on the call by Northern Elders Forum for amnesty for the sect members.“We thank Allah, we will extend our hands for dialogue to the northern elders just as was done before under my leadership.

But if they come there shouldn’t be any deceit in it as was experienced in the past,” he said.Marwan, who said they were yet to be contacted on the issue of amnesty, however agreed that dialogue was the most important thing in settling matters between aggrieved parties and hoped that a genuine and sincere discussion would eventually lead to amicable resolution of the dispute.

Nigeria: NECO and UTME to be scrapped.

The Federal Government has concluded arrangements to scrap the National Examination Council.Plans have also been concluded to cancel the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) being conducted by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board for applicants into the nation's tertiary institutions.JAMB will however not be scrapped.

Under the new arrangement, in place of UTME, authorities of all tertiary institutions would now be at liberty to conduct their entrance examinations as they had been doing for post-UTME.JAMB will however serve as a clearing house."JAMB will now be a clearing house like Universities and Colleges Admissions Service in the UK. If somebody gains admission into three universities and holds down space, immediately such person picks his first choice, JAMB's system will automatically free the remaining two slots for other applicants.

"JAMB will no longer conduct examinations but it will be setting the standard alongside the schools authorities,"

WAEC haven absorbed staffs and properties of NECO, will also be empowered to conduct two Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations per year, one in January and the other probably in December.

Hitherto, only one November/December SSCE Examination is being conducted.The May/June Senior Secondary Certificate Examination being organised by the examination body once in a year still stands.

Petrol: Don't attempt price hike again, labour, others warn Jonathan

The organised Labour, civil rights groups and opposition parties on Wednesday warned President Goodluck Jonathan against another petrol price hike.The groups, which reacted to Jonathan's statement on Tuesday that petrol price would go up, said that the President should not court trouble. The Federal Government had in January 2012 increased the petrol price from N65 per liter to N141 per litre.But following protests in parts of the country, the fuel price was reduced to N97 per litre. On Tuesday, during Nigeria Summit in Lagossa, Jonathan said the Federal Government would still remove fuel subsidy.He said, "We cannot continue to waste resources meant for greater number of Nigerians to subsidise the affluent middle class, who are the main beneficiaries (of fuel subsidy).

I am sorry to burst their bubble but we cannot take the labour leaders seriously. It may just be another scheme to fatten their pockets.