Teachers celebrate amid tight security

•Buhari vows to improve standard of teaching

The World Teachers’ Day held in Abuja yesterday amid tight security.

Speaking at the event, President Muhammadu Buhari ordered that only those adequately prepared and regulated should be entrusted with the teaching and learning process.

He said the Federal Government would improve the standard of teaching and learning by empowering teachers through the activities of its agencies.

The President, who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, (SGF), Babachir Lawal, said the process of reform in the education sector could not function without a fundamental change of the attitude, orientation and behaviour of teachers.                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Buhari said: “It is commonly acknowledged that the quality of learning depends, first and foremost, on the quality of teachers. Consequently, in 1966 the international Community adopted a standard to promote quality teachers and teaching. In this new world order, knowledge is power and all the strategic sectors of society are expected to be manned only by individuals, whose capabilities and understanding of the sectors are not in any way doubtful. Logically, therefore, as other professions, only those who are adequately prepared and regulated should be entrusted with the teaching and learning process.

“It is against this backdrop that the Federal Government has not relented in its efforts to improve the standard of teaching through the activities of agencies as the Teachers’ Registration Council of Nigeria, National Teacher’s Institute, National Commission for Colleges of Education, National Universities Commission, Tertiary Education Trust Fund, and various faculties and departments of institutions of higher learning. These institutions are directed towards the realisation of government’s goals in the improvement of the quality of teacher education programmes, registration and licensing processes and, the overall professionalisation of teaching.”

“However, this process cannot function without a fundamental change in the attitude, orientation and behavior of teacher towards greater values, ideals and practices. A comprehensive ethical framework is, therefore, required to define what the new values, ideals and practices should be. There might also be the need for the new legal instruments and programs that are designed to enforce the provisions of the ethical framework.

“This government recognizes that educated Nigerians are its best assets. It is therefore committed to the total eradication of illiteracy through the implementation of multi-pronged educational policies and programs designed to promote skill acquisition, teacher training, vocational and commercial education amongst others to meet the evolving needs of our society.”

The event took place at the Eagle Square amidst tight security with low turnout of teachers due to the latest Bomb blast in Abuja.

National President of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Comrade Michael Olukoya disclosed that over 600 teachers have lost their lives to the Boko Haram attacks.

He commended President Buhari over the fight against the Boko Haram sect but urged him to wipe out them out.

The low key event was however wrapped up with the presentation of the President’s award of a brand new car to Mr. Alade Taiwo of Dominic Primary School, Ondo state who emerged as the best teacher in Nigeria for the year 2015.

Dangote ranked among 50 most influential global persons

President of the pan-African conglomerate, the Dangote group, Aliko Dangote has been named among the 50 world most influential personalities by  Bloomberg, the renowned United States based news media with bias for business and financial news reporting.

The group of personalities chosen by the Bloomberg Market, consisted of CEOs, world leaders as well as religious leaders. As expected, Barack Obama, Angela Merkel and Pope Francis made the list with Dangote on No. 41.

According to Bloomberg, those on the list “build companies and assemble fortunes. They run banks, or hope to disrupt them. They shape economies and spread ideas. They manage money and wield the clout that goes with the billions of dollars they invest”

The Bloomberg said of him; “Aliko Dangote, founder, Dangote Group. Africa’s most successful businessman built his fortune in sugar, textiles, and cement in his native Nigeria, where today he’s a political as well as a financial power broker. He’s expanding in other countries and may list his cement company in London.”

A piece written by Paul Wallace, a reporter with the media outfit, said “Dangote is feted like royalty. He has businesses ranging from cement to sugar to energy in a dozen sub-Saharan countries. He’s a fixture at elite gatherings, such as the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. No African has ridden the continent’s halting march out of poverty toward potential prosperity as spectacularly as its richest person, the Nigerian industrialist Aliko Dangote.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              “Dangote’s clout extends beyond the boardroom and the high-flier dinner circuit. In March, as votes were tallied in Nigeria’s presidential election, Dangote, 58, served as an intermediary between the camps of the incumbent, Goodluck Jonathan, and the ultimate winner of the election, Muhammadu Buhari.”

“There’s no question that he is quite an exceptional person—not only in Africa but globally,” says Mark Mobius, chairman of the emerging-markets group at Franklin Templeton Investments.

Speaking at the Financial Times Africa Summit in London, Dangote expressed confidence that Nigeria would weather the oil shock that decimated government revenues if it stepped up a fight against corruption.

He was reported to have been emphatic that Africa’s most populous country would grow. “Nigeria’s GDP won’t stagnate,” said Mr. Dangote, adding; “We will have a short term shock but people should remember the Nigerian economy is resilient and huge.”

Dangote said if the government of President Buhari continued its crackdown on corruption the near 50 per cent oil price collapse in the past year would be mitigated.

He was speaking on stage to Financial Times editor, Lionel Barber, at the opening session of the FT Africa Summit 2015.

“The government organisations has also suffered a lot of leakages so when oil was $100 a barrel we weren’t seeing all that revenue collected,” Mr. Dangote said.

“If the government collects all its taxes and duties I think we will be okay. We will not have as much as we had before but it will be okay.” Mr. Dangote said.

Diezani, brothers to face trial for alleged bribery

UK court okays seizure of £27,000

•Hardley Petroleum Solutions Limited
(Believed to be used for money laundering)
•Company registered in Manchester 27/06/2013
•Company dissolved in Manchester 10/02/2015
•Company didn’t file any account when operating
•Directors: Ugonna Madueke, Abu Fari, Somye 
Agama and Abiye Agama

Former Minister of Petroleum Resources Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke is to be arraigned in London with her brothers for alleged bribery and money laundering, it was learnt yesterday.

Investigations by our correspondent in the United Kingdom showed that she was arrested with her brothers Abiye Agama and Somye Agama.

They are directors of Hadley Petroleum Solutions Limited, a company the authorities believe to have been used for money laundering. The other directors are Ugonna Madueke and Abu Fari.

2016 Budget will boost economic diversification, says Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has said the 2016 National Budget being prepared by his administration will include fresh policies and measures for the rapid diversification of the economy from its current over-dependence on the Oil and Gas sector.

The President spoke yesterday in Abuja when he hosted the President of the Movement of the Enterprises of France (MEDEF), Mr. Pierre Gattaz and a delegation of French investors at the Presidential Villa.

He said the policies being evolved by his administration to boost domestic manufacturing and attract greater investment to Nigeria’s agricultural and mining sectors would be fully realised in the 2016 budget.

President Buhari urged  Gattaz and the French trade mission, which included over 50 companies with interest in manufacturing, agriculture, infrastructure development and other areas, to return to Nigeria next year to reap the advantage of the new policies.

The President, in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, also assured the French investors  that under his leadership, Nigeria would not fall short of international standards in the protection of foreign investments and the repatriation of returns on such investments.