AFRICAN REINSURANCE CORPORATION is Recruiting Nigeria Graduates

AFRICAN REINSURANCE CORPORATION (SOCIÉTÉ AFRICAINE DE RÉASSURANCE)

Vacancy Announcement

An International Financial Institution owned by 41 member States of the African Union (AU),
the African Development Bank (ADB), the IFC (International Finance Corporation), the DEG
(German Development Finance Institution), the FMO (Dutch private sector financing
company), PROPARCO (Subsidiary of the Agence Française de Développement) and 107
insurance and reinsurance companies, with Headquarters in Lagos (Nigeria), five Regional
Offices in Casablanca (Morocco), Nairobi (Kenya), Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire ), Port Louis
(Mauritius), and Cairo (Egypt), as well as a wholly owned subsidiary in Johannesburg (South
Africa),

Announces vacancy for Young Professional Programme (YPP) in the following fields:

[1.] Insurance/Reinsurance
[2.] Finance & Accounts
[3]. Administration/Human Resource Management
[4] Information Technology

Qualification required
[1.] First university degree (first class) or its equivalent (in relevant fields)
[2.] Universally recognized (local or international) professional qualification (in relevant fields):

Work experience
Candidates for these positions are expected to have post qualification relevant work experience of
between 0 and 2 years.

Remuneration:
- The monthly allowance attached to these positions is attractive and comparable to what obtains in similar organizations
- In addition, successful candidates selected for the programme would be entitled to free medical care and accommodation throughout the duration of their training.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR CANDIDATES FOR THIS POSITION:
Applicants must be:
- Nationals of member States of Africa Re;
- At least 21 years old and not older than 28 years by the date of this advert;
Only shortlisted candidates for these positions would be contacted.

(AFRICA RE) PROCEDURE
Applications, together with full curriculum vitae and one passport size photograph, should be sent to the following address:

The Managing Director
African Reinsurance Corporation
Africa Re Building
Plot 1679, Karimu Kotun Street,
Victoria Island
PMB 12765
Lagos, NIGERIA
Tel: (234 – 1) 2800924/2800925/4616820
Fax: (234 – 1) 2800074

E-mail: ypp2009@africa-re.com

CLOSING DATE FOR SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS: 31 AUGUST 2009

Check the website below

http://www.africa-re.com/career.html

P&G: Financial & Accounting (Graduates)

The P&G community consists of over 138,000 employees working in over 80 countries worldwide.

Procter & Gamble Nigeria is recruiting exceptional graduates for Financial Analysts.

Description

Procter & Gamble Finance & Accounting offers you the opportunity to experience a breadth of assignments as well as the flexibility to meet your individual career objectives as we work together to build our businesses. Finance & Accounting is unique within Procter & Gamble since we work across every area of the business, both domestically and globally.

Our role within P&G is to provide leadership to business decision making as well as manage the Company’s financial and accounting affairs to maximize long-term profits, cash flow, and total shareholder return.

Our assignments offer you the opportunity to make an immediate impact on the business, while you continue to build your analytical, technical, and leadership skills.

Overall job purpose

Analysis or process creation that supports the decision-making and execution of business priorities.
Responsibilities

Finance and accounting member of a multi-functional team.
Determine financial attractiveness of new product launch/pricing moves.
Determine best timing for production capacity upgrade.
Forecast brand manufacturing costs.
Expertise in analytical tools, budgeting and accounting, understanding of company systems/ processes and of functional roles and interactions.
Financial & risk evaluation of new initiatives
Portfolio analysis
Initiative tracking; competitive analysis
Pricing & cost structure analysis
Qualifications

Minimum Qualification of a Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent with excellent academic results.
Excellent numeric skills and good use of spreadsheed applications
Not more than one year Post NYSC work experience
Excellent communication skills.
Job: Finance & Accounting
to aplly pls go through the website of (p and g nigeria) search through google

http://www.joinpg.com/

Intercontinenntal Bank is recruiting. Apply now !

SHIPPING (Ref:CBD-003)
Grade: AM - SM


JOB FUNCTION
· To provide direct contacts and relationship with prospects in shipping companies.
· To manage account relationships in shipping.
· To work with and coordinate other departments and subsidiaries of the bank to ensure cross marketing and total relationship management.
· To ensure excellent delivery of services to our shipping customers.
· To maximize market share and ensure that the bank gets a sizeable portion of the customers business.
*AM must have worked in the finance dept (Former head of finance) of a major shipping company.

SKILLS:
· Strong managerial and leadership skills
· Strong analytical and conceptual skills
· Excellent interpersonal skills
· Very good credit skills with the ability to understand and structure complex credit transactions.
· Very good understanding of International operations and International trade finance.
· In-depth knowledge of the shipping industry i.e shipping and shipping agencies, regulatory frame work
· Entrepreneurial spirit with the ability to deliver results in a target driven environment.
· Ability to work with little or no supervision.
· Knowledge of Cabotage Shipping and Port Operations inline with the recent concessioning at the Port. E.g NSC, NIMASA, etc
· Knowledge of the processes involved in Vessel Purchase, Maintenance and security process.

Click to apply

http://www.intercontinentalbankplc.com/vacancies.asp
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


AVIATION (Ref:CBD-002) Click to apply
Grade: AM- SM


JOB FUNCTION:

· To provide direct contacts and relationship with prospects in foreign and local airlines.
· To manage account relationships in aviation.
· To work with and coordinate other departments and subsidiaries of the bank to ensure cross marketing and total relationship management.
· To ensure excellent delivery of services to our aviation customers.
· To maximize market share and ensure that the bank gets a sizeable portion of the customers business.
*AM must have worked in the finance dept (Former head of finance) of an airline.

SKILLS
· Strong managerial and leadership skills
· Strong analytical and conceptual skills
· Excellent interpersonal skills
· Very good credit skills with the ability to understand and structure complex credit transactions.
· Very good understanding of International operations and International trade finance.
· Good understanding of alternative sources of finance
· In-depth knowledge of Airline operations: Purchase requirements, Purchase Options, Insurance and Maintenance, Regulatory requirements for Airline set up and Aircrafts purchase and operations dynamics.
· Adequate knowledge of the regulatory bodies and considerable influence within this cycle i.e FAAN, NCAA, NAMA
· Entrepreneurial spirit with the ability to deliver results in a target driven environment.
Ability to work with little or no supervision.

Click to apply

http://www.intercontinentalbankplc.com/vacancies.asp
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


RELATIONSHIP MANAGERS (Ref:CBD-001) Click to apply
Grade: ASSITANT MANAGERS – SENIOR MANAGERS


EXPERIENCE: - 3 – 13 YEARS EXPERIENCE IN CORPORATE BANKING

JOB FUNCTION:
· To provide direct contacts and relationship with prospects in multinational companies and national corporates in various sectors, preferably in manufacturing and services.
· To manage multinational and national corporate account relationships
· To work with and coordinate other departments and subsidiaries of the bank to ensure cross marketing and total relationship management.
· To ensure excellent delivery of services to our corporate customers.
· To maximize market share and ensure that the bank gets a sizeable portion of the customers business.
SKILLS :
· Strong managerial and leadership skills
· Strong analytical and conceptual skills
· Good credit skills with the ability to understand and structure complex credit transactions.
· Good understanding of International operations and International trade finance.
· Excellent interpersonal skills
· Entrepreneurial spirit with the ability to deliver results in a target driven environment.
· Ability to work with little or no supervision.
· In-depth knowledge of the relevant industry i.e competitor and brand identification
· Knowledge of the supply chain
· In-depth knowledge of the operational dynamics of the finance functions in the various companies.
· Knowledge of competitor’s offerings
· In-depth knowledge of the source of raw materials and process cycle.

Click to apply

http://www.intercontinentalbankplc.com/vacancies.asp

ALSO,

Intercontinental Bank is recruiting experienced and executive banking professionals to join their team.

The roles ideally are for candidates with extensive weath of knowledge in the respective roles below. Candidates must be educated up to a BSc or HND level.

All qualified candidates should please read all the requirements carefully and ensure they apply to the correct email address quoting the appropriate reference numbers.

1. Branch Managers: (Ref No: BM010208)

Major Responsibilities

Supervises and coordinates activities of the branch in all parts of Nigeria; Strategies to grow the business of the branch; Manages relationship of existing customers; Prospect for new customers; Relationship management; Knowledge of profit & loss account

Position Requirement

Minimum experience of 9 years; Good credit & marketing skills; Highly passionate about marketing; Strong entrepreneurial spirit; Very strong managerial and leadership skills; Very Strong analytical and conceptual ability; Excellent interpersonal skills; Deep knowledge of financial services sectors; Proven track record in high volume marketing of financial products/services; General knowledge of Branch Management

2. Operations: (Ref No: BM040208) A-E

A. Regional Operations Executive (13 years work experience)
B. Head, Central Clearing (13 years work experience)
C. Head Treasury Operations (9 years experience)
D. Funds transfer Officers (5 years work experience)
E. Head of Operations (8 years work experience)

Major Responsibilities
To effectively manage the operations of the various activities of the Bank

Positions Requirement
Must have experience of having performed same role in a good financial organisation

3. Marketers: (Ref No: BM030208)

A. Relationship Officers (2-5 years of experience)
B. Relationship Mangers (7-10 years of experience)

Major Responsibilities
Credit facilities for customers in line with the bank’s credit policy; Provide and manage direct contacts and relationship with prospects in the various sectors; Relationship management; Research and business development

Position Requirement
Excellent people management skills; Strong analytical skills; Good communication Skills – Oral & Written; In –depth knowledge of the market; Deep knowledge of financial services sectors and products

Kindly send your resumes to careers@intercontinentalbankplc.com quoting position reference and sub-numbers (e.g A, B, C .. etc) where applicable.

Resumes are welcomed from Nigerians in the financial sector in the diaspora for these positions and any other that may not have been advertised.

——–

1. Corporate Banking (Credit & Marketing): (Ref No: BM020208)

Major Responsibilities

Credit facilities for customers in line with the bank’s credit policy; Provide and manage direct contacts and relationship with prospects in the various sectors; Relationship management; Research and business development.

Position Requirement

Excellent people management skills; Strong analytical skills; Good communication Skills – Oral & Written; In –depth knowledge of the market; Deep knowledge of financial services sectors and products

2. Corporate Finance (Ref No: BM050208)

Major responsibilities

Responsible for DCM, M&A, Underwriting; Privatisation; Receiving Banker mandates; Issuing House mandates (IPO&RI); Fixed Income Instruments (Bonds, Debenture etc)

Position requirement

Experience of 9-13 years of which not less than 3 years must have spent in a similar position in a financial organization; Very strong managerial and leadership skills; Very Strong analytical and conceptual ability; Excellent interpersonal skills; Deep knowledge of financial services sectors

3. E-Banking Group (Ref No: BM070208) A-E

Business Development Executives (BDE) in:

A. Cards
B. Web Services
C. ATM
D. POS
E. Mobile Banking

Main Responsibilities

Responsible for the overall marketing, positioning and management of the product, Bank wide; Strategic direction for the department and product; Delivering set targets and expectations for the products bank wide

Positions Requirement

Minimum experience of 9 years of which not less than 2 years have been spent in a similar position; Must have proven track records of high performance in similar areas in their current job; Excellent marketing skills; Smart, intelligent and articulate; Good interpersonal relations; Excellent leadership skills; Performance Driven; Team Player; Self driven; Good supervisory skill

4. Currency Trader/Dealer (Ref No: BM060208)

Major responsibilities

He/she will have a responsibility for executing futures and futures options exchanges:

Trading in all major futures, futures options and equity options products and exchanges, domestic and international; Spot trading in the G-10 currency with emphasis on EUR, GBP, CHF and YEN; Creative in creating liquidity; Penetrate the merging markets through hedge funds; Possess proficiency with all major futures and futures options products and exchanges, domestic and international; Project highly developed functional understanding of electronic trading platforms, clearing, margins, credit, fees, risk and compliance.

Position Requirement

Must be proficient in at least two of the following activities: currency trading, swaps, futures and options; Minimum experience of 5-11 years of which three years have been spent in an established financial institution in Europe or America; Strong understanding of the local market conditions and trends and regulatory environment; Ability to work independently; A self starter; High level of analytical skills; Ability to adapt to diverse working environment; A good understanding of profit and loss accounting

Please send resumes to: StrategicCareers@intercontinentalbankplc.com


I WISH YOU ALL GOOD SUCCESS.

PZ Engineering Graduate Recruitment Programme 2009 Recruitment Opportunity

The application process requires you to register for a GSE ID and password, and complete your CV on the GSE website

www.gse.org.ng

Qualification

1. Minimum of second-class degree (upper division) in Engineering from a recognized/accredited University (Nigerian/Foreign).
2. Only graduates are eligible to apply.
3. Applications must be received on or before 4th August 2009.


CANDIDATES CAN APPLY WITH OR WITHOUT GSE SCORES

Application starts on Tuesday 21st July 2009

http://www.dragnetnigeria.com/pzcussons/

To apply, simply enter your GSE ID and Password.

Mr. President, Nigeria Is Going Down

Mr. President, I don’t know how you would take this, but there is no nicer way of putting it – Nigeria is going down. I have watched, helplessly, in the last few months as things appear to be spinning out of control on all fronts. What are you up to? At times, I wonder if you’re deliberately quiet or you are just too overwhelmed with the circumstances in which you have found yourself. The simplest of things appear to be too difficult for your administration to handle. Or maybe you just do not see any problems yet, right?
I would start with electricity. I know quite well that you have promised 6,000 megawatts by December 2009, which is very impressive, even if belated. At least, we have something to hold you to. At 6,000mw, we should enjoy some power supply. That alone should reduce diesel and petrol consumption, lower the cost of production, improve economic productivity and bring some businesses back to life. However, I am already hearing well-made excuses on why we may no longer meet the target because of gas shortage as a result of militant activities – which I will come back to later.
Where I live, we’ve not had electricity for three weeks – and nothing is wrong with our “transformer” as you would expect. I’m tempted to ask PHCN to come and remove their cables in front of my house, if not I will start hanging my laundry on those hopeless cables. I thought my situation was worse until I shared my story with some of my colleagues who said I was lucky! They actually envied me. One of them said he has not had power supply in six weeks. I quietly thanked my stars. At least my situation is better. At the back of my mind, I do not really care about the megawatts of darkness around me. I assume I am living in a village without electricity; so I expect to call my generator to duty every night. That is a fair deal.
What I cannot understand, Mr. President, is that we’re experiencing severe power shortage in a rainy season. Conventional wisdom is that power supply improves during the rainy season because our dams are working at full strength; the hydro plants thus generate more electricity. Since we’re always complaining about gas shortage (the complaint didn’t start with militant activities), the rainy season brings – or used to bring – relief. In fact, I used to joke that it is when we don’t desperately need power supply that we get it most: when the rains fall, the weather is friendly and everyone is entitled to natural AC. The conventional wisdom has now been turned on its head. Or are we going to say militants have bombed the water too – in addition to the gas pipelines? Something is terribly wrong.
We did not suddenly find ourselves in this tight corner, Mr. President. Think again. When you came in 2007, the plan on ground was that we would generate 6000mw by December of that year. Contracts had been awarded by the previous government towards meeting the target. I suspect that because your government was new, some people persuaded you that you needed to deal with “new” contractors. For nearly two years, various interest groups in and outside your government fought to take over these projects. You stopped paying the contractors. You and the House of Representatives embarked on a probe. Grammar, grammar, grammar. Nothing came out of the probes – apart from the fact that we keep living in darkness.
At the end of the day, we wasted two years blowing hot air. The economy has been going down, but I have seen nothing to suggest that you are deeply worried or in a hurry to address issues. Now, without exaggerating, I have never witnessed this prolonged spell of power cuts in Nigeria since 1998-99. It has never been this bad, I make bold to say. But this has not happened by accident – it is just a reflection of your attitude, Mr. President, to the condition of this country. With due respect, Alhaji, you’re not in touch with reality. Once in a while, you say the right things about the condition of this country, but your speed tells it all: there is no sense of urgency. The power emergency you promised to declare “within 100 days of assuming office” in 2007 is one of the sweetest sound bites from you – but where is the beef? Everyday, since 2007, we hear billion billons being approved for one power project or the other, but ask me what the end product is.
Dear President, are you aware our crude oil export has gone down dramatically? I guess you’re aware. From the height of nearly three million barrels per day three years ago, we’re now hovering just about a million barrels as militants blow up one oil facility after the other. Did you say it’s not your fault? Yes, it’s not your fault. You didn’t create the problems of the Niger Delta. You didn’t create the gangs. You didn’t found the militant groups. Only a fool will disagree with that. However, what did you do, on assumption of office, to address this problem? What was your strategy? How well has it worked?
You had a chance, dear President, you had a chance to do something. When you came to power, the militants declared a ceasefire, claiming that they wanted to give you a chance. But, you see, the hawks around you would not let go. They kept telling you not to negotiate with the militants. They urged you on to deal with them. They’re criminals! Stupid idiots, all! Go for them! Crush them! That was the first mistake you made – you listened to these war mongers who created the impression that they could crush the militants. Two years on, have they succeeded? Are the militants no longer causing fatal damage to the economy? Are you smiling now?
The mistake you made, Alhaji, was that you did not learn from ex-US President George Bush. After 9/11, he went to war in Afghanistan and Iraq, promising to smoke out terrorists with all his military might. He went to Afghanistan in 2001 – the year of the attack – and dethroned the Taliban. Has terrorism come to an end? He jumped to Iraq and dethroned Saddam Hussein. Has terrorism come to an end? He believed bombs and more bombs would curb terrorism. Ask him again how far this has gone.
In 2007, when the militants halted their attacks in the Niger Delta, it was a big opportunity for you to play the statesman and bring peace to the region. But the hawks would have none of it. Pronto, they went and arrested Henry Okah, one of the leading figures in the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), and detained him and put him on trial. The end result was that militant activities were resumed, oil installations were getting destroyed day by day, innocent people were getting killed and the economy started bleeding. After almost two years, Mr. President, you discontinued the trial of Okah and got him released. When you knew, Alhaji, that the possibility of negotiation was there, why did you wait until the economy had been so badly hurt before choosing that option? Who advised you to arrest Okah in the first place?
To be sure, Mr. President, I do not support militant activities. In truth, I harbour serious suspicion about their intentions. Many of them are saying the right things, but the intention is suspect. I support justice and fairness in the Niger Delta, but I am suspicious of some of the agitators. I also do not like a situation where Nigerian soldiers are killed, not by enemy troops, but by their own compatriots. I also have questions to ask about the role being played by some politicians and government officials who benefit from these destructive activities. But, just like terrorists, militants are real human beings. They constitute real threat. They inflict real damages. And, to cap it all, our security forces do not have the capacity to incapacitate them – as the militants have clearly shown in recent times. You cannot wish them away. They are like the bull in the china shop.
So what took you so long, Mr. President? When did you realise there are non-combat ways of resolving the crisis? Why did you allow the hawks to claw you into a corner before embarking on this tactical retreat? You can see the results. The refineries are down, starved of crude oil supply as pipelines go up in flames and get twisted every now and then; our oil exports contracts now depend largely on “force majeur”; our thermal plants are crying for gas as power generation hits its worst in recent years; today, we hear one project or the other that cannot be done because of militant activities in the Niger Delta. Cleverly, those who promised us 6,000mw by December are now qualifying their optimism with “but for militant activities…” – showing clearly that the government underrated the militants when it was making those promises.
Mr. President, take a look round and you see a country lying almost prostrate. Take a roll call of different unions on strike or threatening to go on strike – health workers, midwives, university teachers, electricity workers, postal workers, radio and TV workers, and so on and so forth. There is something I notice: they seem to have lost faith in your government. They seem to be saying that your government does not just care about their plight. They may be right, they may be wrong – but that is a feeling that many Nigerians have. They have observed you over the last two years and concluded that there is no use expecting anything from you. What a sad story.
Your attitude to Lagos, Your Excellency, is also baffling. The least I expected from you is that you would discontinue your predecessor’s anti-Lagos policy. Lagos, whether we like it or not, is the productive base of the Nigerian economy. There is nothing anyone can do about that, not in the foreseeable future. Why federal roads in the state would remain untouched in the two years of your administration is beyond what I can believe. It doesn’t make sense. Everyday, Abuja roads are undergoing repair and construction – while Lagos roads are neglected. You behave, sir, as if you’re the President of Abuja and not the President of the 36-state federation of Nigeria. If Lagos is the economic base of Nigeria, it makes sense that it should not be neglected.
All I have done, Mr. President, is to tell you what I suspect you know – that Nigeria, under your watch, can be better than this. But I refuse to give up on you. We have no other country but Nigeria. We deserve something better. It is not too late for you to wake up to your responsibilities and treat the Nigerian condition as urgent and critical. Make haste, Your Excellency.

Amnesty Not for Cheated Soldiers

Recently, I wrote on the plight of “Akure 27”. It was the pathetic story of the soldiers who went on a UN peace-keeping mission and whose allowances were skimmed off by senior officers of the Nigerian Army. For protesting after being frustrated for weeks in their attempts to collect their allowances, the luckless soldiers were tried for mutiny and sentenced to life imprisonment. I considered this to be unjust, since the stealing was proved and since the officers’ protest was aimed at drawing the attention of the authorities to the nonsense going on in the military.
Of course, some people went all out to justify the nonsense. Some people who call themselves lawyers were even saying in America, soldiers would never protest. It is mutiny, blah blah blah. It is very amusing how Nigerians are quick to point to America when it suits their fancy. Do senior officers in the American military steal the allowances meant for soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan? Let it happen in America first before we compare it to Nigeria. I got an interesting e-mail from someone recently. He wrote: “How come the Federal Government is eager to offer amnesty to militants who have been killing soldiers and bombing oil installations while soldiers who were cheated of their entitlements by their superiors are going to spend the rest of their lives in prison?” Now, I have no answer to that!

Our ultimate demand – MEND By Emma Amaize, Samuel Oyadongha & Wahab Abdullah

* True fiscal federation
*Why we struck in lagos
* Never try it again – OPC

THE Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, says its ultimate demand is “true fiscal federalism”, which it insists is the only guarantee for peace in the country.

The group which attacked the strategic Atlas Cove Jetty in Lagos last Sunday evening and then declared a 60 day cease-fire wants President Umaru Yar’Adua to “break away from the tradition and fear of the past where other regions were afraid of fiscal federalism” , otherwise “we have a problem on our hands”.

It said it decided to attack Lagos because the oil companies“began to seek refuge there”.

Spokesman for the group, Jomo Gbomo in responding to two e-mails from Sunday Vanguard on the Lagos attack, the criticisms that followed it and what MEND really wants, said: “We hope this period of cease-fire will again allow the government appreciate the need to address the root issues.

“The goal post will again be shifted until the core issue of fiscal federalism has been addressed. We hope the Federal Government will consider justice in every decision it makes because without it, every effort or development will come to nought and the circle will repeat itself and this is what we want to avoid.” (See details in Story of the Week inside)

The group rejected criticisms that it committed a tactical error by attacking Lagos and the warning by Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State that this should be the last of any such attack in the state. “NNPC Atlas Cove is not the property of Lagos State.

It is a legitimate target in our oil war. Lagos has attracted our attention after the oil companies began to seek refuge there. We have a list of targets in Lagos that will be visited if the conflict is not resolved”, it said, adding, “In fact, (MEND) have established a cell in Lagos that now monitors the oil industry.” It also said criticisms from other quarters made no meaning to it. “We consider their opinions irrelevant. It’s because of our actions that we see the government taking concrete steps to address the Niger Delta question.”

The support we want: It said: “the type of support we want from any group should go beyond sympathy. If the west are supporting us when we cripple the oil infrastructure in the Niger Delta but get offended when same happens in their region would only confirm they are not sincere.

In the first place, the NNPC Atlas Cove jetty is not the property of Lagos State and is a legitimate target in our struggle. If we achieve fiscal federalism, it is a state like Lagos that will be among the beneficiaries.”

OPC kicks, warns against another attack on Lagos:

But addressing newsmen on Friday in Lagos, the president and founder of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Dr Frederick Fasehun warned that a repeat of Sunday’s attack in any part of Yoruba land would attract severe retaliation.

Dr Fasehun said his investigation revealed that the attack on the jetty was carried out by a dissident group within MEND. He said any attack by any group against Yoruba people and its territory would be regarded as an affront against the Yoruba people and would not be tolerated. According to him, Yoruba people, especially OPC, have always been sympathetic to the struggle of the people of the Niger/Delta.

Fasehun lamented that majority of the casualties recorded during the attack
were Yoruba. “We view MEND’s attack on the Atlas Cove with a measure of discomfort. That bombing left collateral damage not just on the key Federal Government facilities; it left deaths on its trail.

Some lives and property lost were those of Yoruba people. And as an organization sworn to defend Yoruba interest anywhere in this country, OPC will be behaving out of character and calling, if it keeps quiet.”

He said if MEND did not refrain from such attack in future, it should know that OPC has the capacity to return fire for fire. “So, MEND should not provoke any unnecessary crisis between us.”

The OPC leader also asked the Federal Government to “begin the implementation of recommendations proffered by the several panels established on the Niger/ Delta, from pre-independence to the 2008 Niger/ Delta technical committee headed by Ledum Mittee.

We especially view the resting of the recommendations of the Ledum Mittee committee as flagrant demonstrations of insincerity on the part of the government. We request that the superlative resolutions of Mittee committee be unearthed and implemented immediately, as a matter of national emergency.”

CAREERS OPPORTUNITY IN CHEVRON NIG LTD

NOTE: APPLICATION DEADLINE IS MONDAY JULY 27, 2009

(1) Job Reference No.: 2009-IT-01
Job Title: Network Analyst
Job Description: - Design, implementation and support of IT Telecommunication Infrastructure; shall include but not
limited to telephone systems, 2-Way radio communication systems, structured cabling networks,
microwave radio systems, satellite systems, optic fiber systems.
- Installation and maintenance of LAN and WAN devices such as routers and switches.
- Serve as technical resource to relevant project teams.


Required Qualifications: B.Sc. in Electrical/Electronics or Telecommunication Engineering with a minimum of Second Class Upper Division.
Required Skills: - Strong knowledge of telecommunication engineering
- Strong oral and written communication
- Good analytical and project management
- Teamwork and Interpersonal
- Proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office Tools.


Experience Minimum of two (2) years and maximum of ten (10) cognate experience.
Job Type: Full Time (Regular)
Job Category: Information Technology
Job Location: Lagos
Effective Job Opening Date: 7/13/2009
Job Closing Date: 7/27/2009

(2) Job Reference No.: 2009-IT-02
Job Title: Desktop/Server Support Analyst
Job Description: - Respond to assigned tickets via helpdesk ticketing system
- Installation and support of computer hardware (desktops/laptops, peripherals) and MS Office Suite and
other Business applications
- Installation of Windows 2003/2008 servers Operating System as well as specialized services such as
Printing, Exchange (email), SMS and authentication services
- Installation and administration of LAN and WAN devices like switches and routers
- Serve as technical resource to relevant project teams

Required Qualifications: B.Sc. in Computer Science, Engineering or Numerate Science with a minimum of Second Class Upper Division plus relevant Microsoft, Cisco and ITIL certifications.


Required Skills: - Knowledge of Windows 2003/2008/XP and Unix/Linux platforms.
- Knowledge of HP/Compaq servers.
- Understanding of networking devices.
- Proficiency in Microsoft SQL and Oracle Database environments.
- Working Knowledge of Microsoft office suites.
- Good analytical and project management skills.
- Should be a self-starter and strong in oral and written communication.

Experience Maximum of two (2) years post NYSC relevant experience.
Job Type: Full Time (Regular)
Job Category: Information Technology
Job Location: Lagos
Effective Job Opening Date: 7/13/2009
Job Closing Date: 7/27/2009

(3) Job Details (Ref: 2009-IT-03)
Job Reference No.: 2009-IT-03
Job Title: Applications Analyst
Job Description: - Providing second line support for the JDE Application and the Enterprise Asset Management (EAM)
Module
- Troubleshooting and proffering solution to users' problems
- Escalation of JDE and EAM-related issues to corporate partners
- Performing Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) and Information Protection (IP) controls relating to security
administration and patch updates.

Required Qualifications: B.Sc. in Computer Science, Electrical/ Electronics Engineering or Numerate Science with a minimum of Second Class Upper Division.
Required Skills: - Knowledge of J. D. Edwards (JDE), Application and Web technologies
- Knowledge of current programming languages (e.g. .NET), Scripting languages (e.g. Visual Basic),
Architecture, databases and other platforms.
- Working Knowledge of Microsoft development and diagnostic tools
- Should be a self-starter and strong in oral and written communication.

Experience Maximum of two (2) years post NYSC relevant experience.
Job Type: Full Time (Regular)
Job Category: Information Technology
Job Location: Lagos
Effective Job Opening Date: 7/13/2009
Job Closing Date: 7/27/2009

(4) Job Reference No.: 2009-IT-04
Job Title: Petrochemical Computing Analyst

Job Description: - Provide day-to-day support for existing petro-technical and engineering applications
- Troubleshoot and resolve engineering and subsurface application issues to minimize downtime and
ensure applications are in working condition.
- Provide daily support at general user level for applications and associated databases such as Landmark
Reservoir and Production Management Applications, Schlumberger Reservoir Engineering applications,
Production modeling tools and any other related sub-surface engineering application.
- Provide general technical support including application data management, application programming and
script writing.

Required Qualifications: Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Earth Sciences or Information Technology with a minimum of second class upper division.


Required Skills: - Demonstrated technical skills in subsurface data workflows and data types.
- Good analytical, organizational and problem-solving skills.
- Teamwork and Interpersonal skills.
- Strong oral and written communication skills.
- Proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office Tools.

Experience Minimum of two (2) years post NYSC relevant experience.
Job Type: Full Time (Regular)
Job Category: Information Technology
Job Location: Lagos
Effective Job Opening Date: 7/13/2009
Job Closing Date: 7/27/2009


APPLY AT http://www.chevronnigeriajobs.com/OpenJobs.aspx

ACCESS BANK RECRUITING (NYSC BATCH B 2009)NEW EAGLES

Do you desire a rewarding career with a world class bank?
Do you desire quality training and exposure opportunities?
Do you have a Second Class Upper Degree?

If this description fits you,
Access Bank is offering young, intelligent graduates who are about to commence their service year an opportunity to build a rewarding career at Access Bank Plc. Qualified candidates will be required to pass our graduate recruitment test.

Successful candidates will be given the opportunity to serve in locations of primary posting where an Access Bank branch is located.

This might be the process towards securing a permanent job if you excel during your service year

Please send your resume to recruitment@accessbankplc.com

N/B: They always use age to disqualify candidates during the interview stage but they will never tell you.
Their age limit is 24yrs

Lagos Generates N140 Billion By Kazeem Ugbodaga

The Lagos State Government generated N140 billion in the last six months.

Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Mr. Ben Akabueze, disclosed at the weekend that the state government recorded a whopping N140 billion in the first six months of this year as part of its budget performance.

An analysis of the budget showed that the state government projected N202.5 billion to be generated in the first half of this year, with N101.25 billion to be generated quarterly. In the first half, N140 billion out of the projected N202.5 billion was generated by the government, which represented approximately 69 percent performance.

The first half budget performance fell short by N62.5 billion, which represented approximately 31 percent setback of the projected target of N202.5 billion for the 2009 fiscal year.

However, Governor Babatunde Fashola, while assessing the budget performance for the second quarter of the year said the state recorded 68 percent performance, representing N68.85 billion generated out of the N101.25 billion projected for the quarter.

He stated that despite the impact of economic meltdown, the state still recorded success in its budget performance, while he expressed satisfaction with the performance.

“Although this was a slight increase against the budget performance in the first quarter but in terms of the performance between this period last year, there is a four percent increase and when you look at this performance in terms of the difficult economic terrain, I think our government has done very well,” he said.

The governor stated that the budget performance was also being assessed in terms of the impact on the grassroots especially as its thrust is on poverty alleviation and economic growth.

“This we have done through the various infrastructure renewal programmes. We have looked at the impact of the budget and we have seen very encouraging results in job creation, especially at the grassroots level.In terms of direct employment in the public service, we have employed 6,114 people into the public service directly and this is largely made up of health and education workers at the lower level which are people that desperately needed to work in terms of direct employment.

“But outside the public service, we have created 52,665 jobs from so many activities such as field training, micro credit fund, business support and so many others. Some of these people are also already employing other people and this is at the grassroots and there are young graduate who have come out of schools and benefited from these programmes.

“In terms of the indirect jobs that we have created, from figures collected as at June this year, we have a little over 98,000 people who are working at various contractors’ sites as sub-contractors, as employees to people who have taken major contracts from us in building schools, drainage channels, hospitals, roads, bridges, cleaning up the streets and participating in our PSP programme and others. Not only on the macro level has the budget done well, it has also done well at the micro level, giving jobs, putting food on people’s tables,” he stated.

BRITISH COUNCIL TKT(TEACHING KNOWLEDGE TEST) TRAIN THE TRAINER PROGRAMME

BRITISH COUNCIL TKT TRAIN THE TRAINER PROGRAMME

The British Council is about to commence a three days training programme for English Language trainers who will act as trainers and mentors to trainee teachers in the TKT (Teaching Knowledge Test) Essentials course which it is currently rolling out in Nigeria.

TKT Essentials is a training course for teachers of English in primary and secondary schools aimed at improving their content knowledge and skills of delivery in English Language teaching. British Council therefore invites applications from interested teachers of English in the following locations: Abuja, Kano, Jigawa, Lagos, Oyo, Delta, Borno, Niger, Sokoto, and Enugu.

To qualify for the training programme, interested applicants must meet the following requirements:

- Have a good English Language education background
- Must be teachers of English
- Possess at least a five years experience in the teaching of English

The British Council will provide the following to successful participants:

- 3 days intensive training course
- Hotel accommodation for 3 days and 4 nights
- Breakfast, lunch and tea break
- Training materials

Participants will be responsible for their dinner and transportation to Kaduna where the training will take place.

If you are interested to undergo this training, please send your resume by email to: thelma.umeh@ng.britishcouncil.org

Or by courier to:

Thelma Umeh
English Language Manager
British Council, Nigeria
10 Emir’s Palace Road
Kano.

For further enquiries, please call 0703 7496 097

Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted. Closing date for applications is Monday 20 July 2009.
Equal Opportunity Statement

The British Council is an equal opportunity organisation and is therefore committed to equality of opportunity and inclusion and to positive action to promote this.

My life, women and the scandals, 2 Face Idibia speaks-By Ogbonna Amadi, Entertainment Editor

What else is there to know about one of the nation’s leading Hip Hop and R&B stars, Innocent ( 2Face) Idibia, one may be tempted to ask? So much has been said and written about the Benue State-born musician whom, alongside two other friends, Black-Face and Faze, took the music industry by storm as the Plaintainsion Bois. Well, Saturday Vanguard brings to you the story of 2Face Idibia as never told. Enjoy it.

Is this the first time you’d be getting money from the Music and Copyrights Society of Nigeria (MCSN)?
It’s not the first time MCSN will pay me royalty. But this time, it’s really getting bigger and better.
How does this make you feel?
It’s a very welcome development, and I think MCSN should be encouraged by other members of the copyright community. They should be empowered by government to enforce the rights of Nigerian artistes.
Has government done enough?

Sometimes, one cannot help but wonder at the attitude of government toward important issues, especially copyright matters. I think the problem is that government doesn’t understand the magnitude of the music industry when it comes to the economic development of a nation.
The people in government, I should think are ignorant of the economic gains of the entertainment industry. It is in their own interest to have a change of mind and look inwards and understand that the mirror to any nation is the entertainment industry. They need to organise the industry and ensure that the right laws are put in place, and that the laws are obeyed and respected.
Some people blame the poor level of awareness amongst artistes as bane of the industry. Could this be true?
There are many artistes in America who are into music and who don’t understand anything about copyright and the associating laws.
But they have people with the technical know how to handle their affairs. They have lawyers that handle all the details and who would explain areas that concern the artistes to the musician.
So, here in Nigeria, you cannot blame the artistes for not having knowledge about what his rights are.
There is no school in Nigeria that teaches copyright and the laws protecting the rights of the artistes.
We need more entertainment lawyers, more artistes’ managers and management companies, individuals and corporate bodies that will say to the artist, “Hey, you just concentrate on your talent, and we’ll take care of the rest.”
Talking about management and managers, what happened to Hypertek, your company?
Hypertek is still a baby company trying to take a stand in the industry. And right now, we are looking for more efficient hands to run the daily affairs of the company. But by the special grace of God, “We go make things happen at Hypertek.”
First, you were with Now Muzik. You left to run your own show. Now, you are back at Now Muzik. Why?
Let me put things right. I have not said we do not have efficient people at Hypertek. We do have. But the issue is that the work load at Hypertek is massive.

It’s not a child’s play. So, I need more people. It’s more like we are trying to restructure things and get more experienced hands into the company.
My involvement in the running of the company conflicted with my career as an artiste. And as you know, I cannot be the artiste, and at the same time be a manager. That’s why I returned to the safe hands of my friend, Efe Omoregbe, and his Now Muzik management.
In spite of your collaborations with international artistes like R. Kelly, Chaka Demus and Pliers, the album doesn’t seem to have risen to the height your other albums achieved.What happened?
It may not be as popular as the other albums. But it’s gaining a lot respect outside the shores of Nigeria. In Nigeria, I may not be able to say to you, “This is how well the album is doing in the market, because the kind of deal I had with the marketers gives him the power to say if the album is doing well or not in the market.
You got paid outright for the album?
Yes. I got paid in a block payment deal. But I’m still concerned about the album doing well.
Why should you give out your album to a marketer for a fee?
My brother, there is no way you will not be told stories, when it comes to wanting to know figures of your album sold by the marketer. No matter how much pressure you put on the guy, all you will get will be stories. So, the best thing to do is to sell the album right to a market. They know themselves. And if the album is pirated, he’ll know those responsible.
And who is responsible for the video?
Yeah, I handle the video production.
Whatever happened to a video featuring R. Kelly?
We are still working on it. It’s not easy to get people like that.
How were you able to get R. Kelly and Chaka Demus and Pliers to feature in the album?
The R. Kelly deal was made possible by Mr. Toyin Subair, the CEO of HiTV. Chaka Demus and Pliers were made possible by a friend of ours who lives in Chicago. The truth is that they actually featured me in their album but allowed me to also use the track in my own album.
A lot of people have complained that all he did was the chorus and nothing more…
One thing about R. Kelly is that I’m lucky. In most cases, he produces just the beat for some people without his voice, and yet he takes credit for producing such track. Even at that, the owner of the album is happy and shows respect. But in Nigeria here, we always like to put sentiments into issues.
They want to see me jumping around the stage with R. Kelly before they believe that truly R. Kelly was involved in the production. It’s not easy to get R. Kelly to produce a beat and do other stuffs for one.
For me, it’s a huge deal, and a huge achievement to have featured R. Kelly in my album. I don’t really care what people say because they try to belittle you by saying why didn’t he do a verse or whatever. But my brother, I’m cool with his level of involvement. I wrote my lyrics. He produced and provided the hook.
Sex? I thought I heard that line somewhere before?
Yeah. It was originally done by Mad Cobra. But R. Kelly did his magic on the song.
These days, you seem to be more popular outside the country. Could the new album be responsible for it?
Not really. It’s just that I’m trying to cross over to the other continents, especially America and Europe. I need people out there to understand my kind of music. I don’t want to call this new album an abstract. But you have to be really deep in music to understand what I did in the new album. It’s really deep.
And how has the collabo helped your dream?
A lot of people who have heard the song are like, “who is this guy? He’s good and all that.” It’s generating a lot of interest and people want to see me in a concert. They really want to know and feel me.
What has the experience been like since you debuted as a solo artiste?
It’s been a story of growth, the ups and the downs. Good and bad times. But it’s not been easy. So many things have come my way, and I thank God. In all, I have really grown and matured in 10 years as a solo artiste.
Would you have prevented the break up of the Plantasion Bois if you had the chance?
No, I would still have left. I’d still have gone solo. I wanted a life of mine. There is always that quest, that zeal to achieve something on your own without a crowd.
It must have been tough setting out on your own in the beginning?
It was tension all the way. Will the fans be angry with me for going solo? So many thoughts passed my minds. But I kept my fingers crossed and prayed that God took control. Thank God I was accepted.
The success of the song, African Queen, took you to new levels. Did you ever imagine this could happen?
When you do certain things, you expect people to respond to it. You fast and pray that the response is positive. When I and Black Face wrote the song, it was years before I could make use of it. When it did come out, there was tension.
You co-wrote the song with Black Face?
Yeah. The song was there all the time Plantainsion Bois held sway. But we didn’t use it. It was when I started compiling my songs for my debut album that Black Face said to me. “Old boy, make we put this African woman for this your album.” I hesitated initially but succumbed to his prodding.

Is he earning royalty from the song?
Definitely, he does. I thank him for his support during the period.
How did your relationship with Black Face start?
It started in the secondary school in Makurdi, and we lived in the same town, Oturkpo in Benue State. Saint Gabriel Secondary School was where we met and started hanging out as friends. Our love for music started growing and we hooked up together to do small shows until 1996 when we decided to come together to form the group called Plantainsion Bois.
In 1997, we came to Lagos and worked together, playing small time shows to help us survive. We didn’t do any other jobs outside music.
When you arrived Lagos, where were you staying?
In Festac, in Black Face’s uncle’s house. It wasn’t easy. But the man was a kind man. He let us stay. If he had money to give us for one or two things, he did without complaints. It was an experience that when one looks back, we cannot help but laugh.
And Faze …?
Faze joined us in the year 2000. Faze was to feature as guest on the album initially. We met Faze in 1998. He was doing his own thing then. But we became friends and when we started our recording, we featured him in some of the songs. But some months before we released the album, we now decided to include him in the group.
Was the money sharing formula 50-50?
We had no such problem. We were just cool together. We just believed everyone had an equal role to play.
What led to the crack in the wall?
Crack in the wall for me was my desire to grow up personally. I had put in eight years in the group and I wanted fresh grounds to explore my talents.
The several attacks on you.What went through your mind?
I was like, ‘na so like dis, e go just happen.” But I thank God that it wasn’t worse than it did happen. It made me realise that “old boy, anything can happen at any point in time”.
And after the first attack, two more happened. Did you ever ask, why me?
Sometimes, things just keep happening to you and it reminds you of Job in the Bible. There are some people that have been robbed like eight times in their lives but it didn’t happen in the same period and so they may not think of any coincidence.
For me, it happened within a space of two years. Now, there are some people out there who’ve experienced similar situations, and because they are not known, nobody says anything about that.
You never suspected anyone?
It was a possibility then. But I didn’t want to suspect anything like that. The first one happened in my house. The second one on the road, and the third also on the road. On the two occasions it happened, it did at locations far from my house.
With success came the women …
Yes- O!
Women …..
And plenty of wahala
Annie Macaulay was your girlfriend. Why did you use her in the ‘African Queen’ video?
She’s beautiful and was qualified to be in the video. Her appearance was not on the grounds of sentiments.
As a role model, you couldn’t “hold body” and use condoms when you had affairs with these women. Didn’t you care?
It’s not like I didn’t feel bothered about contacting HIV or getting the girls pregnant. I did. “But na so I take do am, na so e take happen and I didn’t run from my responsibilities. Maybe, I wanted it to happen like that.
And you didn’t care about the ladies’ HIV status?
We knew our status before the pregnancies. These ladies were my girlfriends and my relationship with them wasn’t like a one night stand stuff. You mentioned Annie. I have known Annie for a long time. We were already comfortable with each other.
It meant you were not faithful to them …?
“Ehe, the time wen I dey with this one, I faithful to am. The time I dey with the other, I faithful to am too.”
How many kids do you have by these women?
Oh, there are five of them.
And how do they relate?
They know each other. But right now, they live with their different mothers because I’m not always around. But once in a while, I bring them together, go out with them, so at least they will know each other.
And what is it like as a father?
It’s fun but hectic.
How?
It’s fun in the sense that when you just look at them, they are tiny things who’d grow up to become grown ups one day. It excites me when I think of my person as a father. It gives me a huge sense of responsibility, because I have to do virtually everything for them. At every second I spend with them, I have to be alert because anything can happen at anytime.
They need attention and can get injured at the slightest mistake. Everything about fatherhood has been in the positive direction. It gives me more sense of responsibility and it makes me conscious of life now more than ever.
Growing up with your parent, did they know you’d become a musician?
They knew that right from my childhood, my love for music was obvious. When I was a little boy, my love for music was very obvious, since the day I learnt to talk. At birthday parties, I was reputed for my dance. There is no how I hear music that I will not respond to it. But they didn’t know that the love music would transcend everything in my life.
You had a show with the Benue State government in Makurdi…?
No, no! I celebrated my 10th anniversary and the Benue State government was chief host of the show.
When Plantainsion Bois came on board, Hip Hop was not as popular as it is today. To crown your effort, you won the maiden MTV video award (Africa category) as the best Hip Hop artiste. Will you say that was the climax of your effort as a Hip Hop musician?
It certainly is not the climax but one of the highlights because many Nigerian youths didn’t believe in the music industry, didn’t believe that a son of the soil could from the inside of Nigeria, achieve that level of success. So, once that started happening, many other people started coming on board.
The belief that they can achieve greatness from within spurred them into action. In the industry such as ours, there are people who will thrive to better whatever records that may have been achieved in the past.
People who were afraid to sing in pidgin English, their native languages, woke up from their slumber. My first and second albums combined English, pidgin and my native tongue and yet it was a big hit. So, today the youths are stepping up the tempo.
Today, more endorsements are coming up, the pay level has also risen. This is because of the little effort some of us put into the business. I’m grateful to God to be classed as one of the pioneers that stood for the new era music and respect for artistes and level that artistes can achieve today.
It was the first time an African would win an MTV awards…
Yes, it was the first time and it was by merit.
At the time before and after your name was mentioned as winner, what went through your mind?
My feeling was God, I hope I win. I was confident because amongst all the other artistes selected from Africa, I could say that I was the best. For that year alone, I had toured all over Africa and the response I got from all these African countries that I went to, I knew I had no rival.
At their different night clubs, my music was everywhere. I was confident. But my fears were that since a winner must emerge by votes, I was somehow sceptical. So, I was surprisingly voted by these other African countries that voted for me.
The margin between me and the first runner-up was unimaginably wide. But the situation is different today. The people seem to have learnt their lessons. They vote for their own. But in my case, they were very honest.

NAMES OF FAILED BANK DEBTORS

S/NName of DebtorAmount OwedBank
1Adeyeba Adekunle Johns N7b (Gulf Bank)
2Alhaji Sanusi Ado Bayero N45.003 million (Gulf Bank)
3Babajide Rogers N11.874 million (Gulf Bank)
4Muyiwa Osho N242.1 million (Gulf Bank)
5Ebitimi Banigo
[Former Minister of Science and Technology] N3.2b with N10 million
recovered (All States Trust Bank)
6Professor Nta Henshaw N17.9 million (All States Trust Bank)
7,8Alh I.Aminu Saleh & A. Aminu Saleh N26.918 million (Eagle Bank)
9Paul Achimugu N5.5 million (Eagle Bank)
10Alh K.A. Olatunde N13.3 million (Trade Bank)
11Alh S.Y.Abdullahi N1.25bn (Trade Bank)
12Alh Sha'aba Lafiagi
[former Governor of old Kwara State] N1.156 million (Trade Bank)
13David Chuka Nwosu N3.4 million (Trade Bank)
14,15Prince S. Adedoyin & Mrs. Sola Adeoti N5.584b with N453 million
recovered (City Express Bank)
16Angela Onyeador N30.7 million (Assurance Bank of Nigeria plc)
17Chuka Nwokoko N31.9 million (Assurance Bank of Nigeria plc)
18Moore Onyekaba N3.6 million (Assurance Bank of Nigeria plc)
19Sir Emeka Ofor N7.5bn with N3.8bn recovered (African Express Bank)
20Chief Victor Odili N54.3 million (Liberty Bank)
21Dr. T.C. Osanakpo N43.6 million (Liberty Bank)
22-27Alh B.I. Bunu, Chief F.EC. Adiele, Chief Jude Akpunku, Dr. Sam Eke,
Nnamdi Anyaehie, Nze Maduako N9.3bn (Hallmark Bank)
28J.I. Abulime N5.8 million (Lead Bank)
29Mallam Saleh Jambo N17.2 million (Lead Bank)
30,31Captain Onu & Chief D. Onyia [former Minister of State for Foreign
Affairs] N26.6 million (Lead Bank)
32Sen Chris Adighije N1.9 million (Metropolitan Bank)
33Sen Mike Ajaegbo N210 million (Metropolitan Bank)
34Chief (Mrs.) R. Adiukwu-Bakare over N1.093 billion (Metropolitan
Bank)
35Great Ogboru N799.7 million (Metropolitan Bank)
36Oladapo Sarumi
[former Minister of Information] N3.8 million (Metropolitan Bank)
37Chief S.O. Bakare N800 million (Metropolitan Bank)

Poignant service says goodbye to M.J., the man

Michael Jackson was an entertainment phenomenon both triumphant and troubled, a dazzling performer who transcended barriers, transformed the music world and transfixed fans and non-fans alike in every corner of the Earth.
But Tuesday's memorial was not for that Michael Jackson.
Instead, those closest to the legend gave us a glimpse of Michael Jackson the man.
In a poignant and serene service, the portrait they painted was of a human just as remarkable, making his loss doubly painful to bear for those who truly loved him.
"I just wanted to say ... ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine. And I just wanted to say I love him — so much," said Jackson's 11-year-old daughter, Paris-Michael, before dissolving into tears and falling into the embrace of her aunt Janet.
It was a deeply emotional moment, the most profound part of a memorial that accomplished what Jackson could not in life: humanizing a man who for so long had seemed like a caricature.
How could someone who moved like he moved, sang like he sang, and reached musical heights no person has ever touched be as human as the rest of us? How could a man who threw a wedding for Elizabeth Taylor, had a chimpanzee as a companion, and wore masks to cover his surgically altered face be any part normal?
How can a man who admitted he shared his bed with boys — though he maintained it was never sexual, as others suggested — be a decent man, closer to saintly than devilish?
It took those closest to him, from his brother Marlon to his old friend Brooke Shields, to explain Michael Jackson to those who saw him as a talented freak — an image that deeply pained Jackson.
So while Motown founder Berry Gordy talked about the child prodigy he signed at age 10, and pronounced him not just the King of Pop, but "the greatest entertainer who ever lived," he also talked about the little kid who played catcher during family softball games against the Gordys, who cracked jokes and frolicked in the pool. Magic Johnson talked about the perfectionist who made him achieve higher heights as a basketball player, but also told of sitting around and eating KFC at his home. And Shields talked about a friendship in which laughter was central to it all.
"We had a bond, and maybe it was because we both understood what it was like to be in the spotlight from a very, very young age," Shields said, fighting back tears. "Both of us needed to be adults very early, but when we were together, we were two little kids having fun. ... M.J.'s laugh was the sweetest and purest of anyone I've known."
For Jackson's family and the organizers of the memorial, it was a successful rehabilitation of the image of a superstar who had been derided for so long. The words "sweet" and "pure" had rarely been used to describe Jackson in the last two decades of his life, marked by allegations of child abuse, an ever-changing face, multiple lawsuits, eccentric behavior and what seemed to be one bad career move after another.
Only true Jackson fans, a number that seemed to be dwindling year after year, seemed to remember the man who dazzled us with "Thriller," made us swoon with delight with infectious grooves like "Rock With You" and "Remember the Time," and conversed with presidents, kings and queens.
Tuesday's memorial reminded us of that Michael Jackson, too. The universally revered and admired former South African President, Nelson Mandela, offered words of condolences and love for Jackson in a statement read by Smokey Robinson.
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, talked about how Jackson held court with African leaders in his bid to help slow the spread of AIDS there.
And Maya Angelou, who was also represented by her words instead of her presence, offered a loving tribute for the entertainer in remarks read by Queen Latifah.
"He took a pose on his toes for all of us," Angelou wrote, remarking on his worldwide influence from "Birmingham, Ala., to Birmingham, England."
For an entertainer known for his amazing music, song took a backseat to sentiment at the service. But when it was used, it was to great effect. His very biggest hits were not part of the program.
Instead, what we heard were the songs that reinforced Jackson outside of entertainment. Longtime friend Stevie Wonder — who summarized the thoughts of many when he said, "This is a moment I wished I didn't live to see" — sang his own "Never Dreamed You'd Leave In Summer," originally intended as a bitter breakup song but repurposed as a sad goodbye.
Lionel Richie, Jackson's collaborator on the anthem "We Are the World," sang a gospel classic, "Jesus is Love." Another gospel hymn heralded the arrival of Jackson's casket when a choir sang the lines, "Hallelujah, hallelujah, we're going to see the King."
Two of Jackson's songs underscored his humanitarian side — the closing numbers, "We Are the World" and the anthem for his charity, "Heal the World."
Usher's heartbreaking rendition of "Gone Too Soon," which Jackson recorded as a memorial for Ryan White, one of the early public faces of AIDS, captured the pain not only of his fans and friends, but of his family, as the Jackson brothers came together and gripped a sobbing Usher in their arms afterward.
And Jermaine Jackson's version of "Smile," which Michael Jackson had often used as a metaphor for his own tragic life, was a fitting epitaph for his brother.
But perhaps no one lifted up the image of Jackson more than the Rev. Al Sharpton, in rousing, church-like sermon that took Michael Jackson back from the tabloid headlines. Sharpton looked at Jackson's children and declared: "Your daddy wasn't strange — what he had to deal with was strange."

U.S., Russia ready to set new nuclear arms limits- CNN

OSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- President Obama arrived in Moscow on Monday to meet with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in an effort to "reset" the countries' relations.

President Obama prepares to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Moscow on Monday.

The leaders will announce a new arms-control agreement at their joint press conference, a source close to the American side told CNN.

The agreement will limit the number of nuclear warheads each side can deploy and the number of missiles they have have to launch them.

The deal -- which will not be legally binding -- will replace the START I agreement, which is nearly two decades old and expires December 5.

Medvedev said a new nuclear arms treaty was the top issue on the agenda. He was speaking in an interview with Italian media RAI and Corriere della Sera.

He said before the two-day summit that relations "have begun to revive" after a period of significant deterioration during the administration of former U.S. President George W. Bush.

Russia has for years linked nuclear-arms reductions to the proposed U.S. missile defense system, which would have elements in Poland and the Czech Republic.

Medvedev opposes the missile defense shield. The Bush administration first raised the idea; the Obama administration is reviewing the plan and has not decided whether to proceed.

NEITI Recruitment- Jobs At The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative.

The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) is the Nigerian subset of a global initiative aimed at following due process and achieving transparency in payments by Extractive Industry (EI) companies to government and government-linked entities. Our Mission is to promote transparency and engender due process in the Nigerian Extractive Industries. In our bid to strengthen our operation we are seeking highly motivated professionals for the following positions:

A) Technical Department
a. Technical Director:
S/he will provide qualitative expertise, leadership and technical support to the Secretariat’s
operations. The position holder will also be required to provide an in depth review of audit reports and explain them to a reasonable level of understanding, develop a remediation master plan and supervise implementation of the plan.

b. Team Leader Oil and Gas:
The position holder will support the technical Director in ensuring quality analysis and
review of the policies of the petroleum subsector. He/she will carry out research, studies on activities in the oil and gas subsector with the aim of enhancing transparency and service delivery.

c. Team Leader Solid Minerals:
The position holder will be required to provide professional expertise and support in the
areas of solid minerals exploration, production quotas, fiscal system, subsector economic analysis and the implication of Government policies in ensuring transparency within the subsector. S/he will also be required to provide support in determining the robustness and quality of revenue management systems within the subsector.

d. Team Leader Audit:
The position holder will provide technical support to the Technical Director and external auditors
in conducting routine audit of the Industry, ensuring quality review of the audit report, implementation of recommendations, and monitoring and evaluation of all the audit findings and recommendation.

e. Remediation Officer:
The position holder will be required to coordinate all processes surrounding remediation and
support implementation of remedial plan.

f. Financial Analyst:
The position holder will be required to conduct an in depth analysis of the sector’s financial
policies and payment system with the aim of identifying policy challenges, system lapses, revenue leakages and ways of strengthening the system.

g. Monitoring and Evaluation Officer:
The job holder will be responsible for monitoring and evaluation of all audit
activities, development and maintaining of an audit database which will guide the audit function of the Secretariat.

h. Petroleum Analyst:
The position holder will be required to provide professional expertise and support as regards to
petroleum exploration, subsector economic analysis and implication of Government policies in the course of ensuring transparency within the extractive industries.

i. Policy Analyst:
The position holder will be required to conduct an in depth analysis of the extractive industries sector
policies with the aim of identifying policy challenges, system lapses and ways of strengthening the system.

j. Solid Minerals Analyst:
The position holder will be required to provide professional expertise and support as regards to
ensuring transparency in solid minerals exploration, revenue management system and conduct policy analysis of the subsector.

k. Remediation Analyst:
The position holder will be required to monitor measure and evaluate the effectiveness of
implemented remedial actions. S/he will also be required to provide technical support in the development of remedial master plan.

Educational Qualification:
For vacancies a), b), c and d, candidate should have Bsc degree in Petroleum Engineering, Energy Finance, Petroleum Economics, Economics, Accounting or any other relevant field of study, master’s degree or any other additional qualification in any field directly related to Extractive Industries Operations, is required. Possession of doctorate degree in any of the relevant fields will be an added advantage. As for position e), f), g), h), i), j), and k), candidates should have Bsc degree in any of the above fields. Possession of additional qualifications will be an advantage.


B) Communication Department

a) Director Communication:

The position holder will ensure well articulated, target focused and cost effective
communication dissemination to stakeholders and lead in promoting the image of NEITI. S/he will coordinate all the activities of mass media and Information, Education and communication outputs of the organization, including maintaining close relations with all stakeholders

b) Outreach Team Leaders:
The position holder will manage all aspects of NEITI’s external strategic relationship with
Government, Media and Civil Societies with the aim of achieving NEITI’s strategic objectives. Take a lead role in delivering on NEITI’s strategic responsibility of sharing collaborative case studies, Audit findings, policy analysis result and research that informs stakeholders of critical issues in the extractive Industry.

c) Brand Team Leader:
The position holder will ensure well articulated, target focused and cost effective corporate
information and communication is disseminated to targeted recipients in the most effective way.

d) Public Information Officer:
The position holder will establish, develop and maintain relationship with the general public,
for the purposes of disseminating relevant information as regards the activities of NEITI. S/he will support in explaining technical information to the understanding of the general public in order to enhance transparency.

e) Media Relation Officer:
The position holder will be required to use media and press to disseminate relevant information to
targeted stakeholders in order to promote transparency and accountability within the extractive industries in Nigeria.

f) Government Relation Officer:
The position holder will establish, develop, coordinate and maintain relationships with
relevant Government agencies for the purposes of gaining information, providing advice on key issues and feedback on the results of research and audit with the aim of promoting transparency.

g) Civil Society Liaison Officer:
The position holder will establish, develop, coordinate and maintain relationships with Civil
Society Organizations for the purposes of disseminating information and build their capacity on revenue tracking, policy analysis and in the implementation of audit recommendation.

h) Publication Officer:
The position holder will manage the printing and publication of all information, education and communication materials. S/he will ensure target distribution that will yield significant outcome and availability.

Educational Qualification: For vacancies a), b), and c), candidates should have Graduate degree in communications, journalism, public relation, marketing or any other related area, with demonstrated ability to manage external and internal multimedia communications in a large, complex extractive industries related project. Possession of Masters Degree or relevant
professional qualification is required. As for vacancies d), e), f), g) and h), candidates should have graduate degree in communication, journalism, public relation, marketing or any other relevant area. Possession of Master degree and or relevant
professional qualification will be an advantage.


C) Executive Secretary Department

a) Secretariat Secretary and Legal Adviser
The position holder will ensure that NEITI complies with appropriate legal requirements, provide oversight on all legal aspects of NEITI’s activities with the aim of promoting the Organization’s corporate image and manage interface with other corporate and public
entities. S/he will serve as the organizational chief legal adviser and Secretariat secretary; providing strategic and operational support to the Secretariat across the functions of legal agreement, legal interpretation and other legal services.

b) Legal Officer:
Reporting to Legal secretary, the position holder will be required to support the secretariat in ensuring NEITI complies with appropriate legal requirements through the development and vetting of legal agreements; memorandum of understanding and other legal documents.

c) Executive Assistant:
The position holder will be required to provide administrative support to the Executive Secretary in dealing with secretarial and administrative tasks.

d) Internal Auditor:
NEITI is committed to ensuring the highest levels of professional competence and financial integrity. The position holder will be expected to meet this commitment through the delivery of an agreed programme of internal audit work, by performing audits of the operation of the Secretariat and NSWG.

e) Resource Disbursement Team Leader:
The position holder will assist NEITI and other relevant stake holders (NGOs, CBO, Local
Authorities and government agencies) to develop and implement an integrated and coordinated resource disbursement tracking, monitoring and reporting system, with the aim of ensuring the effective usage of revenue derived from the extractive industries.

f) Resource Disbursement Officer:
The position holder will support the Resource Disbursement Team Leader, to effectively deliver on the
departments’ roles and responsibilities.

Educational Qualification:
For a), candidate should have graduate degree in Law, postgraduate degree in law or any relevant professional qualification is required.
For position b) and c), candidate should have graduate degree in law, possession of postgraduate degree or professional qualification is an advantage.
For position d), candidate should have graduate degree in Accounting, Economics, Finance, Auditing or any other relevant field of study. Possession of ACCA, ACA, CFE or CPA is required. For vacancies e), and f), candidate should possess graduate degree in Accounting, Law, Finance, Economics, Auditing, Development Economics or any other relevant field of study.


D) Finance and Administration Department

a) Director Finance and Administration:

The position holder will be required to provide qualitative support services to the Secretariat’s
operations through effective implementation of policies and procedures governing finance and administration, and ensure effective and optimal utilization and allocation of resource to all arms of the Secretariat. Develop and Implement financial management policies and procedures, develop tools and systems ensuring compliance with NEITI’s overall financial policies.

b) Human Resources and Admin Team Leader:
The position holder will be required to provide effective support to the Secretariat as
regards its Human Resources Planning (staffing, promotion, and compensation), Organization (structure, job design, and training), Leadership and Control (Performance Management System).

c) Accounts Team Leader:
The position holder will provide qualitative support services to the organization’s operations through effective implementation of financial policies and procedures governing financial management & control.

d) Procurement Officer:
The position holder will provide qualitative support services to the organization’s operations through effective implementation of business policies and procedures governing procurement management & control.

e) ICT Admin Officer:
S/he will ensure qualitative customer service by assisting in the design, development and implementation of industry-best ICT policies, processes and procedures. The position holder will also ensure smooth running of systems, programs and
technology hardware within the organization through the provision of specialist and technical support.

f) HR Officer:
S/he will assist in providing qualitative support services to the organization’s operations through effective implementation of sound policies and procedures governing HR management & control. Specifically, s/he will be required to develop and maintain effective Human Resources Management Information System.

g) h) Accounts Officer:
She will maintain accounts payable and accounts receivable systems in order to ensure complete and accurate records of all resources and transactions. Specifically will be required to ensure the Implementation of financial and banking policies/procedures.

h) i) Logistic Officer:
To provide qualitative support services to the Secretariat through effective coordination of the activities of members of the NSWG, management and staff of the Secretariat. S/he will provide logistic support to the Secretariat.

i) j) Budget Officer:
S/he will manage and coordinate all the Secretariat’s budgeting processes. The position holder will be required to ensure an effective means of developing budget, implementing the budget and conducting budget reviews as at when due.

j) k) Clerical Officer:
The position holder will be required to support operational aspect of the various departments in the Secretariat.
She will be required to ensure effective documentation and adherence to agreed process flow.

k) l) Office Assistant:
The position holder will be required to provide assistance in the day to day running of the office as may be required and ensure smooth running of all processes.

l) Educational Qualification:
For vacancies a), b) and c), candidates should possess graduate degree in Accounting, Finance,
Economics, Business administration or Social Science. Possession of ACCA, ACA, CPA or any other relevant professional qualification is required.

For vacancy
e), candidate should possess Bsc or HND in Electronics, Computer Science, Electrical/electronic engineering
or any technology/system related field of study. For vacancies d), f), g), h), i), and j), candidates should possess graduate degree in any of the relevant social science field of study, possession of additional qualification in relevant field of study is an added
advantage. Candidates applying for vacancy k), should possess OND in any of the relevant social science field of study. As for vacancy l) candidates should have Senior Secondary School Certificate of Examination with a minimum of 3 credits.

Experience: Director positions at least 12 years of experience, out of which 5 years must be in a top Management position.
Team Leaders at least 8 years relevant experience, out of which 3 years must be in a supervisory level.
Officers positions at least 5 years of experience, out of which 2 years must be in similar role.
Clerical Officers at least 3 years of experience, out of which 2 years must be in similar role.
Office Assistant at least a year experience in similar role.

Method of Application:
Interested candidates should access the secretariat’s website at http://www.neiti.org.ng/Tenders-Recruitment.htm
to read through positions’
detailed job descriptions and forward their detailed resume using the title of the position they are applying for as the subject of the
mail on or before Friday, 10th July 2009, to the relevant email address as indicated below;
Technical Department Vacancies technicalvacancies@neiti.org.ng
Communication Department Vacancies communicationvacancies@neiti.org.ng
Executive Secretary Department Vacancies executivesecretaryvacancies@neiti.org.ng
Finance and Admin Department Vacancies financeandadminvacancies@neiti.org.ng
Please note that only application submitted in this format will be accepted and treated.

Signed: Executive Secretary, NEITI

Good luck guys

TBS Set to Host R. Kelly Today …students’ ticket to cost N2,000- By Laurence An

Having performed to a sold-out crowd comprising a stellar audience last night at the Federal Palace Hotel, in Victoria Island, Lagos, American rhythm and blues star R. Kelly will continue the Nigerian leg of his Africa concert today.
Today’s performance to be held at the Tafawa Balewa Crescent promises to be a fitting climax to last night’s concert, with students in possession of valid identity cards guaranteed entry on payment of a token N2,000. Drawing from his vast repertoire, Kelly performed some of his memorable tunes, eliciting resounding cheers from the audience who couldn’t seem to stay off the dance floor. The performance lasted till the early hours of this morning.
The concert is a continuation of Kelly’s African tour which started in Johannesburg and later Cape Town, both in South Africa.
Kelly, in Africa for the first time performed at various events organised by Arise magazine published by the THISDAY Group, had performed at the THISDAY Music Festival at Sun City Superbowl in Johannes-burg on June 27 where he rendered three songs in memory of the late pop icon Michael Jackson. He also performed at the Grandwest Casino June 29 in Cape Town.
R.Kelly is billed to perform tomorrow in Abuja. The Abuja show will hold at the THISDAY Dome
Last night’s VIP special command performance included a 3-course dinner which allowed members of the audience to meet and greet the top musician during and after party get together.
The South African performance was a major highlight of the Arise Africa Fashion awards held at the Sandton International Convention Centre, Johannesburg, which featured designers from across Africa.

2010 World Cup: Nsofor, Etuhu keep hope alive By Kate Obodo

Super Eagles duo of Victor Obinna Nsofor and Dickson Etuhu have assured Nigerians that the Super Eagles will qualify for the 2010 World Cup ticket in South Africa next year.

The players who are confident of dorning the colours of Nigeria in South Africa have urged Nigerians to be patient.
According to the Inter Milan forward, “There is no course for alarm” as the team would definitely come all out to grab the 2010 World Cup ticket.
“There is no doubt the World Cup ticket is in our hand, that is why we are trying our best to make sure we qualifyand I believe in the coach, technical crew and the players that this mission would be accomplished,” he told AIT Sports show.
However, the Sunderland midfielder said their chances of qualifying for the 2010 World Cup is very bright as he urged Nigerians to continue to support them especially in their prayers.
“We know that the ball is now in our court, but we are certain of qualifying. We will do every thing to make sure the country’s flag is hoisted among others countries, next year” he said . Tunisia leads Group two with seven points from three matches while Nigeria is second and five points.

NNPC/Chevron art contest crucial to curriculum — Minister By Olubusuyi Adenipekun

The national art competition which the NNPC/Chevron Joint Venture has been sponsoring since 2005 has been identified as a major initiative that enriches Fine Arts curriculum in the nation’s schools which contributes to the growth of education and also plays a vital part in the nation’s development and history.

This view came from the Minister of State for Education, Hajia A’ishatu Dukku while delivering her address at the Art Exhibition/Prize-Giving ceremony for the 2007/2008 and 2008/2009 editions of the NNPC/Chevron Art competition which took place in Abuja on Thursday last week.

Dukku, who was represented by Mrs. Kunbi Ogunnaike, a Deputy Director at the Federal Ministry of Education, said: “Art education is very important to human development.

The arts enhance the process of learning by nourishing our integrated sensory, cognitive, emotional and motor capacities. In fact, the arts are the driving forces behind all other learning. A holistic education goes beyond the teaching of our students hard facts and computer science.

“A robust fine arts curriculum is therefore important for keeping the humanities truly humanizing and liberal arts education truly liberating the mind. We already have in place a sound fine arts curriculum.

This competition is one of those things that would complement it by helping to stimulate and retain our children’s interest in fine arts.”

She continues: “Some of the things we know about the people of the pre-historic times are based on their cave paintings and drawings. By supporting and providing our children opportunities to project their creativity, therefore, the NNPC/Chevron Joint Venture is helping to preserve some of our today for posterity and also encouraging imaginative interpretation of our collective experience.

Dukku commended the Joint Venture for their interest in the growth of the nation’s education by rendering educational support, adding that kudos should be given to the NNPC/Chevron for their scholarship programmes and vocational support projects which the company has been running over the years.

Of particular note, says Dukku, is the Science and Teachers’ Scheme in the Niger Delta, explaining that through this scheme, the company has provided funding as incentives for youths corps members to work in remote places in the Niger Delta.

“This scheme has added tremendous value to science education in the Niger Delta area and we believe that such large scale support for education would give the much needed fillip to our educational sector.”

The Chairman/Managing Director of Chevron Nigeria Limited, Mr. Andrew Fawthrop explained that the urge to fish out and develop the creative potentials of the youth is the major consideration which motivated the inauguration of the art competition in 2005.

Represented by Engr. Femi Odumabo, General Manager (Public Affairs of Chevron), Fawthrop further said: “For the NNPC/Chevron Joint Venture, investment in children and the youth is a sublime expression of our commitment to, and practice of corporate responsibility. We conduct our engagement with children from infancy to adulthood.

This helps them to be well rounded as individuals and as a group.We focused on core issues and activities in the development of children such as healthcare, education, sports, skills and career development, economic empowerment, environmental awareness and protection, among others.”

He continues: “The NNPC/Chevron Joint Venture sponsors this arts competition because we believe that creativity stimulates the mind. We hope that through our modest contributions, we would stimulate some of our young ones to different levels of greatness.

The works produced by our emergent artists here confirm that Nigeria’s future is bright.”

The Chevron boss also disclosed that the initiatives of the oil company in the education sector include the provision of infrastructure such as laboratories, classrooms, the donation of books, computers, science equipment, libraries and dormitories to communities in its areas of operation and other parts of the country, adding that the Joint Venture also sponsors competitions such as the yearly holiday computer camp for students; the Awokoya Memorial competition in Chemistry and Chris Ikomi Essay Competition in Delta State.

He added: “Chevron offers assistance yearly to the Science Teachers’ Association of Nigeria.

We also operate several scholarship programmes such as the Community Scholarship for our areas of operation, the National University Scholarship schemes, the Blind Students Scholarship for Medical, Nursing Laboratory Sciences and Engineering Students.

We also have the JDZ Block 1 Postgraduate Scholarship administered by Star Deepwater on behalf of the partners. Currently, no fewer than 6,000 students are benefitting from these scholarships.

While the theme for the 2007/2008 edition of the competition is “Celebration of My Culture,” that of 2008/2009 edition is “What Safety Means to Me.” No fewer than 260 entries were received for the two editions, with the judges for the competition prunning this figure to 40 outstanding entries (20 for each edition) for the final exhibition and prize-giving ceremony.

The competition is, indeed, providing the kid-artists a platform for not only expressing their talents in arts but also in keeping in touch with their culture.

And both Junior and Senior Secondary School students from all over the country did justice to these themes as their various drawings centre on the rich artistic inheritance of the nation’s culture and on safety precautionary measures as the nation has lost too many of its youths to violent and accidental deaths.

For these works of arts, these students and their teachers were given awards and certificates.

ASUU, SSANU strike cripple varsities as students vacate campuses By Olubusuyi Adenipekun & Victor Ahiuma-Young

FOLLOWING Monday’s commencement of a seven-day warning strike by members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), which has worsened crisis in the universities as result of ongoing industrial action by Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), university authorities have directed the students to vacate the campuses until the crisis is resolved.

This directives is coming just as the Senate Committee on Education summoned the Minister of Education Dr. Sam Egwu to a meeting with ASUU on Tuesday towards resolving the ongoing strike by university lecturers.

Vanguard investigation revealed that because of the ongoing strike by the two unions, essential services on campuses, such as water and electricity supply have become erratic especially because of SSANU’s strike which enters the fourth day today.

However, some students, especially those in their final year, are capitalising on the resumption of work by NASU to stay on campus as they are determined to use the opportunity of the strike to bring their final year projects to a logical conclusion.

At the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, the University of Ibadan, University of Calabar and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, majority of the students have left campus with only a few still around.

However, students are still on campus at the University of Port Harcourt as the university’s unions have not officially declared strike there in order not to disrupt the matriculation ceremony of the institution and the Universities Matriculation Examinations which respectively held on Friday and Saturday last week.

Similarly, students are still on campus at the University of Ado-Ekiti even though the ASUU and SSANU of the institution have commenced strike action.

The students are thinking that since the school just resumed from a three-week forced holiday, their lecturers might go ahead to conduct the semester examinations in spite of the on-going strike.

But the relief from NASU may be ephemeral afterall as the leadership of the union is likely to declare a full scale strike very soon.

According to Alfred Adefemi, Deputy President of NASU in-charge of Universities, a meeting is to hold soon to deliberate on the possibility of embarking on another round of strike if their demands, over which they went on a warning strike last week, are not met.

While drawing back from preempting the lecturers, the Chairman of the Senate committee on Education, Senator Joy Emodi nevertheless gave hope of increased funding of the universities through a bill to restrict the focus of the Education Trust Fund (ETF) to tertiary institutions.

This is definitely not the best of times for the nation’s university education system as all academic activities and other operations have been grounded by aggrieved workers who are protesting among other things, deteriorating university education in the country and improved welfare.

While the strike by members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is in the second week, that of its Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), began onMonday this week.

To worsen the situation, there are strong indications that the third union in the sector, the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Related Institutions (NASU), which last week ended a warning strike, could any moment from now go on strike too as the union also has series of unresolved grievances with government.

ASUU is on an indefinite strike over alleged refusal of government to sign and implement the agreement reached between FGN-ASUU negotiating teams, while SSANU is on a seven-day warning strike, with a strong threat to declare a full scale total and indefinite industrial should government fail to address its demands for new salary negotiation, 65 years retirement age, the university autonomy and the payment of 2003 to 2005 monetisation arrears.

Speaking with Education Weekly on SSANU’s seven-day warning strike, its President, Comrade Promise Adewusi, warned that after the warning strike, if government remains recalcitrant, a total and indefinite strike would be declared Comrade Adewusi who is also a deputy President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), decried government attitude to the nation’s tertiary educational system and welfare of its workers and declared that in line with last week decision of the National Executive Council (NEC) of SSANU a total and full scale seven day warning strike would soon commence if government fails to accede to their demands in all the nation’s university system.

Recalling what, according to him, pushed them to the wall, the SSANU President said: “At the last meeting, we had with him, he (Minister of Education) told us that government has finally set up an inter ministerial committee. We had earlier kicked against this before now in his own ministry.

What he did was to set up internal committee to harmonize all the agreement by the four unions, but now government had gone ahead to set up an inter-ministerial committee to review unilaterally the product of collected agreement and for us it is against all the conventions of International Labour Organisation (ILO) on collective bargaining because once a product comes as a result of a collective bargaining, then its became binding on the two parties except all the parties comes together to take a look at it, but non of these things were put into consideration before taking their decision..

Even though that is not our desire, all we are doing now is to attract the attention of the government. May be Mr. President does not know of this development even though it is the Federal Executive Council that constitutes this committee.

But let me also believe that he did not have all the information that he needs to have before taking that decision and so what we are doing now is to draw his attention and other right thinking Nigerians to this anomalies.

We want to put on record that government must create the enabling environment to salvage this country and the system, it must streamline the universities operation, administration and the system itself. We have gave them time in which the government have to put its house together and make this things work, but within this time nothing seem to have happen beyond having two meetings with the minister if Education and these meetings did not produce any positive result in as much as we understand and appreciate stands of the minister who seems to be doing all he can to remedy the situation, we cannot say so to other governmental officials and there is a limit to which he can do as a person.”

“We learnt the committees have two months to make available the outcome of the findings. The committee terms of reference are the issue of the new salary negotiated, the issue of 65 years retirement age and the university autonomy.

All of these were not acceptable to us because the issue of the 65 years retirement age has gone beyond what you want to review because this was the product of our agreement since 2001 but up to now government is still foot dragging. The last negotiation that was headed by Onosode almost revalidated those 2001 agreements.

As government keeps dragging its foot, a lot of our members have been retired at 60 years and these are some of the hands that we have in the university that government have invested so much and trained, because before you become a university registrar one must have been up to the age of 58 and above while at 60 they would be forced to retire.

Government is complaining that the standard of education, which is also hinged on the administration of the system, is fallen but still they are letting these people who they have invested so much on to go.

For us, we say no and the issue has been agreed upon since 1995, because for most of us our appointment letters say that our service will terminate after 65 years, so for them to call for review now is totally unacceptable.

On the issue of salary, whatever salary that was agreed upon was not particularly agreeable to us but because of the fact that we want the system to work and in the spirit of collective bargaining we allow that to stand.”