EGYPTIAN SOCCER STAR SALAH MAY QUIT TEAM IF ISRAELI PLAYER JOINS

The Egyptian soccer player refused to shake hands with Israeli players in the past, despite being a favorite of former Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman.

 Mohamed Salah has allegedly threatened to leave Premier League football club Liverpool if Arab-Israeli soccer player Moanes Dabour joins the team, Israeli media reported.

According the report, Salah said that he will leave Liverpool should Dabour be signed.

However, people close to the Egyptian athlete said he needs to be left alone to focus on playing soccer and that he is a professional, and it is not his concern with whom Liverpool is discussing a possible contract.

In the past Salah, refused to shake hands with Israeli players with the pretext of tying his shoes during a game between Maccabi Tel Aviv and FC Basel, his team at the time.

Former Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman tweeted in April, in jest, that he would recruit Salah to the Israeli army after seeing how he led Liverpool to a 5-2 victory over Roma. 

WE AT BLIMP CONSULT AND BLIMP INFO FELICITATE WITH CHRISTIANS ON THE OCCASION OF XMAS CELEBRATION.

On this auspicious Christmas Day, We sends our kindest and best wishes to our friends, associates, colleagues and all Christians.

Christmas, is a reminder to us of God's mercies, favour, goodwill and peace to mankind.

On Christmas Day, Love came down, because God so loved the world, that he gave His only begotten son Jesus, whose birth is the Christmas we celebrate.

The essence of the day as demonstrated by God, is to give, and not to count the cost. To give, not for what one can get, but for what the other can receive. That’s what love is. God so loved the world, that he gave.

It is therefore, speaker's prayer that as we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus, may people have reasons and cause to celebrate with you. May this joyous season bring you new tidings, let his holy birthday bring you happiness, blessings, peace and comfort in your life.

Most importantly, as we rejoice and celebrate this wonderful season of Christmas, let us not forget to thank baby Jesus for coming into our lives. Let us together prepare ourselves to welcome him into the homes of our hearts.

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Building codes

Building codes specify minimum standards for the construction of buildings. The codes themselves are not legally binding. They serve, rather, as "models" for legal jurisdictions to utilize when developing statutes and regulations.

The main purpose of building codes are to protect public health, safety and general welfare as they relate to the construction and occupancy of buildings and structures.

The building code becomes law of a particular jurisdiction when formally enacted by the appropriate governmental or private.

        Building Codes and Standards

• International Code Council (ICC)
  

  Dedicated to developing model codes and standards used in the design, build and compliance process to construct safe, sustainable, affordable and resilient structures.
• State & Local Building Codes
  

  Provides links to detailed information on building codes for all 50 states, major cities, and some counties.
• International Green Construction Code
  

  Establishes minimum green requirements for buildings with the goal to make buildings more efficient, reduce waste, and have a positive impact on health, safety and community welfare.

OFFICIAL: LMC reveal 2018/19 NPFL season kick-off date, schedule

The League Management Company of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) has affirmed the kick-off date of 2018/19 season of the league.

In a letter to all the participating NPFL clubs, the company noted that the first matchday of the season is scheduled for January 13, 2019 while the end of regular season will be observed on May 12. Play-offs will be held thereafter between May 13 – 25.

The season’s Aiteo Cup competition will begin with the state finals scheduled for February 23. The showdown of the competition will be staged on May 26.

The clubs are to observe a mid-seaon break between February 28 and March 8.

In the meantime, the eight Nigeria National League (NNL) sides that have qualified for the Super 8 play-offs are expected to get prepared for the qualification fixtures which will get underway before January 3.

Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has advised the League Management Company (LMC)

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has advised the League Management Company (LMC) to ensure the commencement of the 2018/2019 season not later than 13th January 2019. This was contained in a statement the NFF Emergency Committee released on Friday, in reaction to letters received from clubs that qualified for the Super 8 Tournament of the Nigeria National League (NNL) that their teams are depleted and therefore, they do not have enough personnel to prosecute the Super 8 as earlier scheduled, which would have enabled the NPFL to commence on 30th December 2018. The three clubs that showed up in Aba as directed would each receive a compensation of the sum of N2,000,000 each, while the matter of the five that failed to show up would be referred to the relevant NFF committee to deal with. The full statement: Following the directive to the eight clubs qualified for the Super 8 Tournament of the Nigeria National League to proceed to Aba for the tournament, we received letters from clubs to the effect that they presently do not have enough players to prosecute the tournament. Apparently, most clubs in the country’s leagues sign a good number of their players for only one season. These personnel appear to have floated to other clubs in search of greener pastures. In view of the above, and the contrite tone of their letters, the Emergency Committee has opted to allow the affected clubs two (2) weeks to recruit players to beef up their playing personnel, after which they will then prosecute the Super 8. The NNL should therefore pick new dates not later than 3rd January for the tournament. In the meantime, the matter relating to the five (5) affected clubs will be referred to the relevant NFF committee to deal with while the three (3) clubs that showed up in Aba as directed will each be paid compensation of the sum of N2,000,000 (Two Million Naira Only). The League Management Company (LMC) is hereby advised to ensure the commence of the NPFL 2018/2019 season, not later that 13th January 2019.

CONGRATS ANTHONY JOSHUA

Nigerian-born World heavyweight boxing champion, Anthony Joshua representing Britain was honoured at Buckingham Palace as he received an OBE for his outstanding services to boxing.

Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace presented the award as reward for AJ's services and success to the sport.

AJ holds the WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight titles as he may meet Deontay Wilder in the nearest future for the WBC crown.

A big congratulations to Anthony Joshua.

Minimum Wage: NLC kicks as Buhari suggests review of N30,000 minimum wage proposal

Budget Proposal

Earlier in his presentation, President Buhari said government proposed an estimated expenditure of N8.83 trillion for 2019, including grants and donor funds of N209.92 billion.

He said as part of the recurrent expenditure, personnel costs would gulp an estimated N2.29 trillion, nearly about 40 per cent of projected revenues.

He said substantial savings is expected from wider use of the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) platform. He said ministries, department, and agencies (MDAs) have been directed to implement the IPPIS latest by March 2019.

According to the president, provisions have been made for staff promotion arrears and recruitments by the armed forces, police and para-military agencies during the year.

Besides, he said, the government has equally provided for the settlement of inherited outstanding pension liabilities, while one per cent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund (N51.22 billion) has been earmarked for the Basic Health Care Provision Fund and other related commitments.

A breakdown of the proposal shows about N4.04 trillion will go for recurrent costs; debt service (N2.14 trillion); statutory transfers (N492.36 billion); Sinking Fund (N120 billion) to be used to retire maturing bond to local contractors; and Capital Expenditure of N2.031 trillion.

The NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos shortly after watching the budget presentation by President Buhari that his group would not be party to any technical committee to review the N30,000 minimum wage.

“We cannot accept the use of any technical committee to look into the already agreed N30,000 minimum wage,” Mr Ayuba said.

“The president promised to pass the report to lawmakers a week after it was presented to him. Once the tripartite committee has met and agreed on an amount, no other committee can meet on the same issue,’’ Mr Wabba said.

He said with organised labour scheduled to meet next week to take a final decision on the issue, there was no going back on the agreement.

On his part, the president of the United Labour Congress (ULC), Joe Ajaero, also kicked against the proposed technical committee. He said the tripartite committee had considered the ability of governments to pay the N30,000 before agreeing on it.

“We (Labour) have resolved to fight for the new minimum wage even after the upcoming general election. There would be no retreat or surrender until workers receive the wage,” Mr Ajaero said.

Nigeria announces new national building code

Nigeria has announced new national building code which will monitor construction works to safeguard lives and property across the country

Babatunde Fashola, minister of power, works and housing, announced the new building code during the inauguration of members of Architect Registration Council of Nigeria (ARCON).

As there are some incidents where wrong construction plans led to deaths in the country, the Nigerian government is adopting conscious measures to protect the citizens and loss of life and property, said Fashola.

According to the minister, the new code will determine the standard of educational qualification of members and regulate the activities of architects in Nigeria’s construction industry.

He further added that the Federal government of Nigeria is committed to the infrastructural development and ensuring safety of the workers. According to him, buildings will now be designed in such a way that public safety cannot be compromised.

The industry experts also lauded the government’s initiative in revising the existing national building code, saying that the government took a right direction and synergy for effective housing delivery.

The experts further encouraged stakeholders in Nigeria to have positive attitude for the adoption of the new building code, to ensure well-regulated and effective operations of a large number of construction activities in the country.

ShelterTech accelerator programme debuts in Kenya

This programme aims to better tailor housing markets to the needs of low-income households and to identify, promote and accelerate Kenyan start-ups and high-growth companies that offer low-income housing products and services.

Access to adequate housing for low-income households is a critical development problem in many countries around the world. Kenya, where housing is recognised in the constitution as a basic human right, is no exception.

About 61 per cent of Kenyans live in a temporary shelter or extremely low-quality housing, affecting the overall well-being of households.

The programme will bring together entrepreneurs, government, corporations and development partners to identify and present innovation to improve access to shelter.

With more than 94 applications from across Kenya, 30 start-ups and scale-ups will be selected to undergo a six-month acceleration programme, giving them access to expertise, networks and the opportunity to win up to US$50,000 in investment in their business.

The programme runs from November 2018 to May 2019.

Jane Otima, Habitat for Humanity’s associate director for Market Systems and Entrepreneurship, said, “The ShelterTech Accelerator Kenya will contribute to the government of Kenya’s affordable housing pillar that aims to have at least 500,000 affordable homes in all major cities while ensuring 350,000 people get jobs in the housing sector by 2022.”

BDO’s CEO Sandeep Khapre noted that the ShelterTech Accelerator programme is an innovative initiative, which will help build and expand inclusive housing markets.

Pangea’s CEO Jonas Tesfu stated that the startup ecosystem continent-wide, if given the right tools and means to invest is as vibrant as any other industry across the globe. Jonas notes that Africa remains very attractive as a new startup frontier, “Africans and non-Africans alike are looking to be part of its rapid development and are seeking ways to make this happen.”

BREAKING NEWS BADEH DEAD!

Retired Air Marshal Alex Subundu Badeh, former Chief of Defence Staff under former president Goodluck Jonathan reported shot dead with his driver along Keffi - Akwanga Expressway around 9pm today.

DONE DEAL, CHELSEA FOOTBALL CLUB TO SPEND £70M ON PULISIC

Chelsea have reached an agreement with Borussia Dortmund to sign £70million rated star, Christian Pulisic.
The Blues beat off competition from Liverpool and Tottenham and look set to sign Pulisic when the January window opens, according to Daily Mail.
The US international shone for his country against England on Thursday night.
He will be out of contract in 18 months and is being chased by a host of Premier League clubs.

Daily Mail reports that Chelsea are hopeful of wrapping up a deal for a player who could command a £70million fee.
Chelsea are pushing to conclude the deal in January while the threat of a transfer ban looms over them.
The player had also spoken about moving to England before, saying, “The Premier League, is where lots of kids dream of playing so there is no reason why one day I won’t play here.
“We are having a great year at Dortmund and I am enjoying every moment of that. Then when the time comes for me to talk in the breaks about my future, that’s when those things will happen.”

Happy CHRISTMAS Konshisha

I felicitate with all Nigerians, especially my Konshisha brothers and sisters, on the joyous occasion of this year’s Christmas. On this occasion of the commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ, let us all rededicate ourselves to the virtues of peace, love, honesty, justice, equity, piety, humility and service to others which he taught.

There can be no doubt that a greater manifestation of these virtues and ideals in our lives will immensely help us to become a more united, peaceful, secure and progressive Benue and the nation at large.

We must never again allow any group to hold the nation to ransom under whatever guise. Let us also not allow current socio-economic and security challenges to dampen our expectations for a better Nigeria.

Our change slogan is not a campaign gimmick but a promise that must be kept. We are determined to bring about tangible changes in the lives of our people if elected. 

In this regard, efforts will be intensified to enact laws that will lead to recovery of  stolen funds, block revenue leakages and enthrone due process, transparency and accountability.

Public office is a public trust that must be held to the highest ethical standards. I wish all Nigerians a Merry Christmas in advance. 

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION

Building construction, the techniques and industry involved in the assembly and erection of structures, primarily those used to provide shelter.

Building construction is an ancient human activity. It began with the purely functional need for a controlled environment to moderate the effects of climate. Constructed shelters were one means by which human beings were able to adapt themselves to a wide variety of climates and become a global species.

Human shelters were at first very simple and perhaps lasted only a few days or months. Over time, however, even temporary structures evolved into such highly refined forms as the igloo. Gradually more durable structures began to appear, particularly after the advent of agriculture, when people began to stay in one place for long periods. The first shelters were dwellings, but later other functions, such as food storage and ceremony, were housed in separate buildings. Some structures began to have symbolic as well as functional value, marking the beginning of the distinction between architecture and building.

The history of building is marked by a number of trends. One is the increasing durability of the materials used. Early building materials were perishable, such as leaves, branches, and animal hides. Later, more durable natural materials—such as clay, stone, and timber—and, finally, syntheticmaterials—such as brick, concrete, metals, and plastics—were used. Another is a quest for buildings of ever greater height and span; this was made possible by the development of stronger materials and by knowledge of how materials behave and how to exploit them to greater advantage. A third major trend involves the degree of control exercised over the interior environment of buildings: increasingly precise regulation of air temperature, light and sound levels, humidity, odours, air speed, and other factors that affect human comfort has been possible. Yet another trend is the change in energy available to the construction process, starting with human muscle power and developing toward the powerful machinery used today.

The present state of building construction is complex. There is a wide range of building products and systems which are aimed primarily at groups of building types or markets. The design process for buildings is highly organized and draws upon research establishments that study material properties and performance, code officials who adopt and enforce safety standards, and design professionals who determine user needs and design a building to meet those needs. The construction process is also highly organized; it includes the manufacturers of building products and systems, the craftsmen who assemble them on the building site, the contractors who employ and coordinate the work of the craftsmen, and consultants who specialize in such aspects as construction management, quality control, and insurance.

Building construction today is a significant part of industrial culture, a manifestation of its diversityand complexity and a measure of its mastery of natural forces, which can produce a widely varied built environment to serve the diverse needs of society. This article first traces the history of building construction, then surveys its development at the present time. For treatment of the aestheticconsiderations of building design, see architecture. For further treatment of historical development,see art and architecture, Anatolian; art and architecture, Arabian; art and architecture, Egyptian; art and architecture, Iranian; art and architecture, Mesopotamian; art and architecture, Syro-Palestinian;architecture, African; art and architecture, Oceanic; architecture, Western; arts, Central Asian; arts, East Asian; arts, Islamic; arts, Native American; arts, South Asian; arts, Southeast Asian.

The History Of Building Construction

Primitive building: the Stone Age

The hunter-gatherers of the late Stone Age, who moved about a wide area in search of food, built the earliest temporary shelters that appear in the archaeological record. Excavations at a number of sites in Europe dated to before 12,000 BCE show circular rings of stones that are believed to have formed part of such shelters. They may have braced crude huts made of wooden poles or have weighted down the walls of tents made of animal skins, presumably supported by central poles.

A tent illustrates the basic elements of environmental control that are the concern of building construction. The tent creates a membrane to shed rain and snow; cold water on the human skinabsorbs body heat. The membrane reduces wind speed as well; air over the human skin also promotes heat loss. It controls heat transfer by keeping out the hot rays of the sun and confining heated air in cold weather. It also blocks out light and provides visual privacy. The membrane must be supported against the forces of gravity and wind; a structure is necessary. Membranes of hides are strong in tension (stresses imposed by stretching forces), but poles must be added to take compression (stresses imposed by compacting forces). Indeed, much of the history of building construction is the search for more sophisticated solutions to the same basic problems that the tent was set out to solve. The tent has continued in use to the present. The Saudi Arabian goats’ hair tent, the Mongolian yurt with its collapsible wooden frame and felt coverings, and the American Indiantepee with its multiple pole supports and double membrane are more refined and elegant descendants of the crude shelters of the early hunter-gatherers.

The agricultural revolution, dated to about 10,000 BCE, gave a major impetus to building construction. People no longer traveled in search of game or followed their herds but stayed in one place to tend their fields. Dwellings began to be more permanent. Archaeological records are scanty, but in theMiddle East are found the remains of whole villages of round dwellings called tholoi, whose walls are made of packed clay; all traces of roofs have disappeared. In Europe tholoi were built of dry-laid stone with domed roofs; there are still surviving examples (of more recent construction) of these beehive structures in the Alps. In later Middle Eastern tholoi a rectangular antechamber or entrance hall appeared, attached to the main circular chamber—the first examples of the rectangular plan form in building. Still later the circular form was dropped in favour of the rectangle as dwellings were divided into more rooms and more dwellings were placed together in settlements. The tholoi marked an important step in the search for durability; they were the beginning of masonry construction.

Evidence of composite building construction of clay and wood, the so-called wattle-and-daubmethod, is also found in Europe and the Middle East. The walls were made of small saplings or reeds, which were easy to cut with stone tools. They were driven into the ground, tied together laterally with vegetable fibres, and then plastered over with wet clay to give added rigidity and weatherproofing. The roofs have not survived, but the structures were probably covered with crude thatch or bundled reeds. Both round and rectangular forms are found, usually with central hearths.

Heavier timber buildings also appeared in Neolithic (New Stone Age) cultures, although the difficulties of cutting large trees with stone tools limited the use of sizable timbers to frames. Theseframes were usually rectangular in plan, with a central row of columns to support a ridgepole and matching rows of columns along the long walls; rafters were run from the ridgepole to the wall beams. The lateral stability of the frame was achieved by burying the columns deep in the ground; the ridgepole and rafters were then tied to the columns with vegetable fibres. The usual roofing material was thatch: dried grasses or reeds tied together in small bundles, which in turn were tied in an overlapping pattern to the light wooden poles that spanned between the rafters. Horizontal thatched roofs leak rain badly, but, if they are placed at the proper angle, the rainwater runs off before it has time to soak through. Primitive builders soon determined the roof pitch that would shed the water but not the thatch. Many types of infill were used in the walls of these frame houses, including clay, wattle and daub, tree bark (favoured by American Woodland Indians), and thatch. InPolynesia and Indonesia, where such houses are still built, they are raised above the ground on stilts for security and dryness; the roofing is often made of leaves and the walls are largely open to allow air movement for natural cooling. Another variation of the frame was found in Egypt and the Middle East, where timbers were substituted for bundles of reeds.

TOP 10 MOST LUCRATIVE JOBS IN NIGERIA AS OF DECEMBER 2018

Starting a business in Nigeria may be a bit difficult, especially if you are a bit confused about what business to venture into.

Here is a list of top 10 most lucrative businesses in Nigeria from wealthresult.com. You may wish to consider some

1. Agriculture

This is the next revolutionary industry in Nigeria where millionaires are currently being made. Nigerians both home and overseas are beginning to wake up to the huge potentials in Agribusiness, a sector we have been neglecting over the years due to the discovery of oil. Now that the oil is drying up, people are beginning to look into other sectors of the economy to create wealth. Below are some of the farming in Nigeria that are serious making profit for people now.

2. Poultry Farming

This business is making average Nigerians rich. It is so lucrative that even outsiders are coming in to invest in poultry farming the business in Nigeria. And why not, In a country of more than 150 million people, what would you expect? If you start with 1,000 birds and manage your poultry farm properly, when the turnover on investment begins to come, you will be making millions annually.

3. Cassava Production

People are beginning to turn their attention to this aspect of farming in Nigeria that has been neglected for years. Cassava derived foods are some of the most consumed in Nigeria. If you can invest in cultivating 50 – 100 Acre in a fertile area like Ondo State, your harvest will be great.

4. Snail Rearing

Snail farming is one of the choice Animal farming for many reasons. It is a low capital investment with high yield and the market is big. There are few people currently doing this – and most of them are doing it in a very low scale. If someone invest heavily in Snail farming, he is sure to make good money in Millions within a year.

5. Rice Farming

Rice remains the most consumed food staple in Nigeria and Billions of dollars goes into importation of this product yearly from China and Thailand because the local farmer are unable to meet up the demand due to poor funding and limited knowledge. Anyone who have a million dollar to invest should get in touch and partner with me with 100% return. $1,000,000 = $2,000,000 guaranteed.

6. Sale of Furniture

Buying and selling of Locally make furniture is a goldmine. You don’t need to be a carpenter to do this, just arrange for regular supply from reliable Carpenters while you display and sale in your showroom. It is a very big business in Nigeria as only few can afford the imported designers.

7. Making of Fruit Juice

Nigerians drink fruit juice more than any other people. That’s why companies like La Carcella and Chivita who came into the country as nobody are today making billions of naira annually. This business in capital intensive but if you can afford it, it’s well worth it.

8. Pure Water Production

You know how popular this is in Nigeria and how many that are dispensed daily. Though this business is capital intensive but well worth investing into, especially if you can manage it properly with professionalism.

9. Oil and Gas Business

We are blessed and cursed with huge deposit of oil in our land which presents some of the finest business opportunity for Nigerians and Foreigners. Owning a Petrol Filling Station, Supplying of Diesel, and Distribution of Kerosene are some the areas you can invest easily and make good money for yourself. Petroleum product marketing have been making millions for people and creating millionaires in Nigeria for years.

10. Haulage Services

The cost of taking a truck from one place to the other in Nigeria is between N20,000 to N200,000 per trip. Due to poor rail transport system, most of the Nigerian goods are transported through the road, making haulage business in Nigeria a viable one. Petroleum products haulage and movement of goods from manufacturers and importers are the aspect of haulage in Nigeria that is very lucrative now

No more School Fees: FG declares tuition free at All Federal Universities

According to the Federal Executive Council on Wednesday, no federal university should charge tuition fees. The Minister of State for Education, Anthony Anwuka, stated this while briefing State House correspondents after the cabinet meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

Daily Trusts reports that the minister said the council discussed the school fees being charged by various universities “and noted that as of law, no federal university should charge tuition fees.”
Anwuka, also stated that the council understood that some federal universities charged fees per course unit, saying that the government would investigate and make sure it is stopped. The minister said the National Universities Commission had been directed to clarify and update the council on the matter.

“We understand some universities now charge fees per course unit and we are going to make sure that we investigate that properly and make it stop.

“Students can pay other auxiliary fees, but not in excess. Various university councils and management should be able to fix what fees students should pay that is affordable and acceptable to the students. That is the position.

“The federal government does not determine fees for private and state universities. It only takes responsibility for fees paid in the federal universities.”

The council has approved the insurance of provisional licence for the the establishment of Skyline University in Kano, the minister noted.

UNDERSTANDING THE HUMAN BRAIN by AKAAWASE BERNARD TERYIMA

download the pdf by clicking this link. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fFXYRl0jcLUQZF-hU6jF83Sjhq7COkoU/view?usp=sharing

Senate backs vice president on state police

Majority Leader of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan, has described as a welcome development Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s call for the creation of state police and said that the National Assembly will consider it. Vice President Osinbajo had on Thursday, while declaring open, a security summit organized by the lawmakers on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari, advocated the establishment of state police as the solution to wanton killings by suspected herdsmen and other rising security challenges plaguing the country. Responding to the call by Osinbajo when he spoke with State House correspondents after observing the Juma’at prayers at the State House Abuja Mosque on Friday, Lawan said, “Well, I’m not a legislature as such because I am only one member of the legislature. “But as a committee member of the Ad-hoc Committee on Security and the Review of Security Infrastructure in Nigeria, I believe that the suggestion by the Vice President that we should go the way of state Police and even consider community policing, is very good suggestion and we are going to take it on board in the National Assembly.” He then commended the security summit as an example of collaboration, cooperation and partnership between the executive and the legislature, adding that synergy between the executive and the legislature will solve the security problems in the country. On how the synergy will solve the security challenges he said, “Of course. That is what we have been able to achieve with this. The Summit was declared open by the Vice President on behalf of Mr. President and that was a typical example of collaboration, cooperation and partnership between the executive and the legislature. And we are so happy that this partnership is working. “We have not concluded because the summit will continue on Monday and that will be the end of this particular summit and then the Senate will pass resolutions which the executive will definitely consider and implement by the grace of God.” The Leader of the Senate expressed optimism that the security issues will be tackled, but added that there is time for the leaders to think in a very positive manner “that we should be able to solve our problems. If we cannot solve the problems, then why did we even venture into it? “I’m an optimistic person and I believe that coming together, the executive and the legislature, we can solve any problem in Nigeria if we have the support of Nigerians.

Okay… Before you even start your preparation for orientation camp , you have to set your mind on what to expect , what to buy , things not to take and all but most importantly you need to know some important info about camp. Nysc Orientation Camp is a once in a life opportunity . its a time you really meet different kind of individuals most especially for the butty children and those who went to private university. You will meet , live and learn from strangers. At the end of the day, our experiences might be different but having a fore-knowledge of what to expect will reduce your “camp-shock.” For some this would be a 3 weeks to remember . Try to prepare well as much as you can for the 3 weeks of camp life:
NUMBER 1: HAVE ENOUGH CASH FOR SPENDING. Yes o . everything in camp is about money . You pay to charge phones , pay to wash , some pay to eat (mammi). pay to even use clean toilets. So just try o and have enough cash.But having experienced being broke (you might not get an ATM to withdraw money), I’ll say please bring pocket money… But also learn to budget. Don’t spend extravagantly… Be very frugal in your spending. Don’t buy everything you see… Also don’t allow camp photographers take pictures of you randomly- of course unless it is part of your plan. Be kind to others but also ensure you are not careless with your spending. NUMBER 2: THE TOILETS & BATHROOMS These is another aspect to prepare for. Most camps if not all do not have good toilets and bathrooms. Some people have to bath outside , some in the bush and like i said in number 1 if you have money you could pay around to use a clean one . Just do not expect to see a good one . Some people have to wake up as early as 3 am to have their bath .
NUMBER 3: SECURITY Security should be your watch word right from the first minute you step into camp till after you step out of camp. You don’t know the kind of human beings you would mix up with. Just try as much as possible to have a kind of safe lock for your bags. Most importantly you don’t have to show off or flaunt what you have then you are calling the petty thieves to come collect what they want. Note that nothing is too small to be stolen o!. Be very careful with your belongings… For example, don’t leave your phone or purse on your bed and turn away for a minute. Don’t get me wrong, the camp is pretty safe. But some cases of theft were reported in my hostel as well as others. There are no locks on hostel doors so everyone including non-corpers (e.g. women who hawk goods) have access to these hostels. So, ensure you up your skills in keeping your things safe.
NUMBER 4 :KITCHEN FOOD I never ate camp food for once ,i only used my kitchen card to collect bread once. It all depends on you ,Some corpers are ‘allergic’ to eating from camp kitchen so they end up spending a huge part of their pocket-money in ‘Mami market.’ The government paid loads to ensure you have three square meal per day. Don’t miss the opportunity to use your meal ticket. Okay, they don’t cook the best meal. But trust me, it is not that bad. You can complement what the kitchen provide with fruits from Mammi market.
NUMBER 5 : BE SOCIAL Make friends , no one is an island . Camp is an opportunity for you to make friends .Camp life is pretty stressful. Being around the right people or having the right people around you will help you stay sane. But don’t be too desperate about making friends that you land in the wrong company. Try to have fun… and relax. Don’t complain too much. Moaning and depressing murmurings will leave you exhausted. Avoid depressing conversations if possible.
NUMBER 6 : EXPECT THE WORST Do not got to camp expecting everything to be as you planned or have been told. Things change . So the best advice i can give you is just to expect the worst.
NUMBER 7: MAMMY MARKET Almighty Mammy market is the happening place in camp. It is the spot where things are sold on camp. And yes, things are very expensive there. The traders/retailers there blame the inflation in the market on camp officials. They say they were charged mercilessly for their rented space. So corpers bear the burden. To avoid being exploited in this market, try as much as you can to come with all the things you need . The traders know that you don’t have any other choice than o buy it there. In mammy is where you have different canteens and restaurants and bars. Some corpers resume their early in the morning and close with them at night sef .lol. Its just the happening place in camp .There is no camp without mammy market.
NUMBER 8: RELIGIOUS ACTIVITIES In every camp there are various worship groups but the only recognized ones by the NYSC officials are the NCCF (National christian corpers fellowship) and MCAN (Muslim corpers association of Nigeria) . There are also Winners christian fellowship , Catholic fellowship , Believers world and even deeper life fellowship. Actually due to the various activities in camp one may even not attend there religious activities but that’s no excuse o.There are also other activities competing for attention. Not to forget how tiring waking up early for all those activities can be. But try to maintain a healthy time for devotion. Attend the (NCCF), Catholic or Muslim fellowship where applicable… Don’t neglect your faith. Fellowship with brethren revitalizes.
NUMBER 9: BE ACTIVE Do not just go to camp and warm he bench or beds ,participate in events and activities in your various platoons where possible. There game teams like football , volleyball etc. for both male and female. There are also other competitions like miss nysc, other beauty pageants, Mr macho , Mr nysc, drama presentations , talent hunts and much more . Try as much as you can to be active on camp… Volunteer to serve in the different groups- Nigeria red cross, OBS, man o’ war, etc. When in your platoon, also try as much as you can to participate in the group activities. All the team dynamics is part of the learning process. Active participation is not necessarily to get cheap recognition… Or massage your ego. It is just that there is no need to tiptoe through camp… You won’t have the experience twice. Some of the seminars are annoying or a time-waster but try as much as you can not to stay idle…listen up anyway. Maximize all learning avenues. ( I was not ultra-active but I did try to at least participate in some activities).
 NUMBER 10: FINALLY, Congratulations on reading all the tips i have written above. I hope you’ve gained something . Well finally just go to camp open-minded to camp , I’ll advise that you take your time to actually allow yourself experience the uniqueness of the place you are posted to and the people you’ll meet as well. Try not to judge everyone and everything at first contact. No amount of experience-sharing can replace your own unique experience while on camp. So don’t box yourself in. Go to orientation camp and rock the phase!!
DON’T FORGET TO READ THE HAND-BOOKS YOU’LL BE GIVEN DURING REGISTRATION. As irrelevant as the small booklets might look, reading them will save you a lot of headache . Bonus: Learn from the challenges you’ll face. Embrace camp life with a thankful heart. Stay positive even when it seems you have no reason to.

By Akaawase Bernard Teryima (marine engineering graduate)

NYSC 2018 BATCH A

 Mobilization Time Table Now Online – www.nysc.gov.ng 2018 NYSC Batch A Mobilization – This is to inform all prospective corps members, i.e. Nigerians who have graduated from Universities and Mono/Polytechnics both at home and abroad that the NYSC On-line registration portal will be opened from Monday 17th April to Thursday 4th May, 2018 to enable them register for the 2018 Batch ‘A’ mobilization. In order to ensure a seamless registration, prospective corps members are to note the following for strict compliance: Requirements For 2018 NYSC Batch “A” Registration/Mobilization Of Graduates The Website address is any of the following: www.nysc.org.ng www.portal.nysc.org.ng Prospective Corps members should ensure that they have functional e-mail addresses that they can access and Nigerian (GSM) telephone numbers with which to register. Locally trained prospective Corps members are expected to use correct Matriculation numbers to register For locally-trained graduates, only those whose names appear in the Senate/Academic Board Approved Result lists submitted by their Institutions will have access to the register on the NYSC portal. Foreign-trained prospective corps members should ensure that their Institutions are accredited. Where in doubt, it is their responsibility to approach Federal Ministry of Education for verification. The letter of verification must be uploaded during registration. Those who graduated from Institutions outside Nigeria, (Foreign-trained graduates), are to visit the NYSC portal, register and upload the following documents: West African School Certificate(WASC) (with not less than 5 Credits at 2 sittings) or its equivalent; or General Certificate of Education (GCE O’ Level) (with not less than 5 Credits at 2 sittings) or its equivalent; or NECO (with not less than 5 Credits at 2 sittings) or its equivalent; or High School Diploma or its equivalent. First Degree or Higher National Diploma (HND) Certificate (Second Degree or Ph.D not necessary). Transcript of the first Degree or HND. International travelling Passport showing data page and date of departure for the course of study. It is the responsibility of the prospective corps members who studied in non-English speaking countries to get their Certificates and Transcripts translated into English language before uploading. All graduates of Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Physiotherapy, Radiology, Optometry, Medical Laboratory Science and Pharmacy are expected to have their Certificates of Registration with their professional bodies. Payment receipts are not acceptable. Unlike in the past, Foreign-trained graduates should NOT visit NYSC Headquarters, Abuja for verification of their documents. This exercise will now be done at the Orientation Camps. They should simply print their call-up letters on-line and report at the Orientation camps in their States of deployment, but should come to the camp with the original documents they uploaded for verification. Anybody who presents any fake document will be demobilized and decamped. Prospective corps members should ensure that Passport photographs used meet the following specifications: Ensure your face (eyes, nose, ears, mouth and jaw) is fully shown without bending Make sure the picture fills the frame and centralized Ensure the Photo background is white or off-white with no shadow. On no account should prospective corps members register by PROXY. They should also remember the fingers used for their bio-metric capturing as these will be used for verification at the orientation camps. Those who cannot be verified with their bio-metric at the orientation camp will not be registered. Only prospective corps members who want their call-up numbers sent to them through SMS and wish to PRINT their call-up letters on-line are expected to pay the sum of Three Thousand Naira (N3,000.00) (see NYSC Portal on how to make payment). Prospective Corps members who do not want to pay the N3,000.00 have the option of going to their schools to collect their call-up numbers and call-up letters. All prospective corps members who paid for the online registration before but were not mobilized need not pay again. Married female prospective corps members (whether locally or foreign-trained) should upload copies of their marriage Certificates, evidence of Change of name and their husbands’ place of domicile during registration. The orientation camp is highly not ideal for pregnant and nursing mothers. Prospective corps members in this category are therefore to note that they will not be accommodated. All Part-time graduates are expected to register online and wait for collection of their Letter of Exclusion at their various Institutions. For those willing to print the Letter of Exclusion online, this can be done on payment of Three Thousand Naira (N3, 000.00) only. PLEASE NOTE THAT ONCE THE PORTAL IS CLOSED ON THURSDAY, 4TH MAY 2018 , THERE WILL BE NO FURTHER REGISTRATION.

A MUST WACTH VIDEO

Click this link to watch and learn how to play the Nigerian National anthem on violin as Put together by graduate engineer Akaawase Bernard Teryima.
https://youtu.be/fDSTIA2k3Y4

THE BENUE KILLINGS

Just a second day into the year 2018, the Benue State Government has been presented with a horrendous new year package, on the wake of the New year’s day, massive attacks which reverberated through hundreds of deaths and wanton killings of human persons were carried out in the State Governors Council Ward which left a shocking number of casualties and death toll. On the 2nd of January 2018, the Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH), Makurdi was agog with cacophonous despair over the massive display maimed corpses resulting from the sudden invasion of unknown perpetrators purported to be Fulani Herdsmen. This therefore, reconnect with the initial threat issued by the said herdsmen earlier in October 2017 that they were going to invade Benue state at the wake of November of 2017 with the present attack however, it leaves one without doubt that the present attack has been an actualization of the precedented threat as said above. Given this massive New Year shocker, the event leaves several lines of botheration thus: Why has the Federal Government led by Mohammadu Buhari remained silent over the killings in Benue by the purported Fulani Herdsmen since its inceptions? How possible has the Fulanis successfully effect such a regimented attack in the deep inter-lands of state without prior cause of alarm? Given the November 2017 threat, how prepared has the Benue State government been ready in terms of security preparations? Could this attack have been jointly mobilized by the Federal Government and the said Fulani herdsmen? In tackling these botheration, so much points towards either conspiracy or negligence. This is because, president Buhari took over the reins of government at a time when the killings of the Tiv people by the Fulanis were aggravated and ongoing, but since then until now, no-one has heard an instituted concern from the presidency in regards to this phenomenon. This leaves one in no doubt that the presidency may be in support of these killings; because as Martin Luther King (Jnr) puts it, “in the end, it is not the voices of our enemies that we hear but the silence of our perceived friends”. The presidency’s silence however, has already spoken volumes in this case. Come to think of it upon this backdrop, why do the presidencies of ex-military generals often target the Tiv nation in sponsored killings (as was the case during the Obasanjo’s administration)? If the Fulanis could organize such a regimented attack and pass un-noticed until its execution, then one should be aware that there is a problem. On the other hand, having passed the anti-open grazing bill, what security measures were taken by the state government to counter any surprised attack especially given the threat issued earlier in November? Having been familiar with the Fulanis unforgiving nature, the state government would have known that the Fulani would not leave Benue obediently, never to return. A strike-force anti-assault team should have been instituted and trained in guerrilla warfare to prepare for any surprise attack as an aftermath projection of this anti-open grazing bill. But today, this negligence on the side of the government has caused the Tiv people this New Year despair. And of course, we should expect more. On this note, I call on the public to resort to self-help where necessary, only to protect the lives and integrity and pride of the Tiv nation, until proper government machineries are put in place to arrest the situation if at all this will ever happen. Talk2apeyuan@gmail.com Apeyuan Terese Emmanuel.

GO GET YOUR PVC

Nigeria has a population of 180 million people out of which 68.8 million registered and were eligible to vote during the 2015 General elections. Simply put, only 38% of our population registered with INEC as eligible voters. Meanwhile based on data from National Population Commission and National Bureau for Statistics, Nigeria has over 61% of its population eligible to register as voters. Funny enough only 28,587,564 turned out to vote on the day of the general election, which is just 15.9% of our population. 15% determined the fate of 85% that refused to register or turn up for elections. You are all over facebook, twitter and WhatsApp arguing, debating, postulating and proposing good governance but you have no PVC. You claim you are exposed, schooled, learned, fear God and you daily pray for God to bring good governance to his people, yet you have no PVC. Faith without works is dead. If you like prophesy, cast all the demons and anoint Nigeria, if you have no PVC, you can't stand up to be counted. Always know that bad politicians are not born but are products of people like you who don't vote. Do you have your PVC? Go to the nearest INEC office in your LGA to register. Registration starts again on Monday, January 8th. It is going to be continuous.

BURSARY UPDATE

This is to inform the general public that the Delta State bursary board has commenced online bursary registration of students for the state government's 2017/2018 student special assistance scheme (SSAS)
Who is Eligible?
1. Be an indigene of Delta State
 2. Have regsitered with National Identification Management COmmission (NIMC) if you are above 18 years
 3. Use JAMB Registration num,ber if your are below 18 years
 4. Be a Reistrered full time student only fo Government owned and funded Tertiary Institutions. 4. (PGD, MASTERS, PhD Students are not eligible)
 5. Either be in second year or above (200 to 500 level) in the Universities or;
 6. Be in ND II and HND II in the polytechnis/Monotechnics
7. Be in 200 Level and above for colleges of Education
 8. Be in CGPA of 2.20 and above in the previous academic year's examination
 9. Registration of site is for period of six (6) weeks
 10. There shall be PHYSICAL VERIFICATION
 11. Inclusion of level/year of study
12. Time frame for verified list to be returned to the Board is four (4) weeks
 13. Inclusion of Departments/Course of study
 14. Fraudulent list shall be blacklisted METHOD OF APPLICATION 1. Log on to www.dsbsb.DL.gov.ng 2. You will be charged Eight Hundred Naira (#800.00) non-refundable fee 3. Online Acknlowedlge Carge should be downloaded for your personal record 4. Online applicaiton willl be open from THursday, 1st Febuary 2018 (12:00pm) to Friday 9th March, 2018 (11:59pm) Powered by DELTA STATE GOVERNMENT Information brought to you by 2017/2018 NADESTU EXCOS For more enquiry call Comr. Eseoghene Choice NADESTU PRO (FUPRE CHAPTER) 08106530933 Comr. Deki Akpomieme NADESTU President (FUPRE CHAPTER) 08160023608

HOW PEOPLE CAN BE CREATIVE

 I went to *Genesis* hotel through *Exodus* road. On the way, I saw *Leviticus* recording the *Numbers* of people at *Deuteronomy*, while *Joshua* was waiting at the Beautiful gate for *Judges* to see *Ruth* calling loudly *"Samuel*, *Samuel*. At a stage, the *first and second Kings* of *Chronicles 1 & 2,* were coming to visit *Ezra*, *Nehemiah* and *Esther* for the misfortune of *Job* their brother. They started singing *Psalms* and teaching children *Proverbs* concerning *Ecclesiastes* and *Songs of Solomon*. This coincided with the period that *Isaiah* was engaged in *Jeremiah's* *Lamentations* together with *Ezekiel and Daniel* their friends. By that time, *Amos* and *Obadiah* were not around. Three days later, *Hosea*, *Joel* and *Jonah* travelled in the same ship with *Micah* and *Nahum* to Jerusalem. *Habakkuk* then visited *Zephaniah* who introduced him to *Haggai* a friend of *Zechariah* whose cousin is *Malachi*. Immediately after the tradition, *Mathew, Mark, Luke and John* got involved in *Acts* of the *Romans* who were behaving like the *1st Corinthians* group because the *2nd Corinthians* group were always at loggerheads with the *Galatians*. At that time too, they realized that the *Ephesians* and *Philippians* were close to the *Colossians*, and a suggestion for the *first Thessalonians* visit was made, and that on their *second Thessalonians* visit, they should first of all see the *first and second of the Timothy* brothers who had gone to the house of *Titus* to teach *Philemon* his younger brother how to read and write in *Hebrew*. On hearing this, *James* asked *Peter* twice to explain to him how the *three Johns* have disclosed to *Jude* the *Revelations* of this journey. Don't enjoy alone. Forward to fellow Christians.