7 years to study medicine not 11 as reported - NUC

Medical students are required to do seven years in the universities and not 11 as erroneously reported in some news media recently.

The National Universities Commission (NUC), made the clarification during interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Monday.

The Director, Quality Assurance of the commission, Prof. Chiedu Mafiana, said on telephone that every student in Medical science must have a first degree in anatomy, physiology and medical biochemistry.

"Another basic requisite is that there must be clinical skill laboratory, whereby in teaching, students would use mannequins, dolls, to simulate diseases.

"The students will then use the mannequins to practice, rather than using human beings.

"This will also assist the students to mature psychologically for the profession’’, Mafiana added.

Some newspapers last week had quoted Executive Secretary of NUC, Prof Julius Okojie, as saying student wishing to study medicine would henceforth spend 11 years in the university.

Okojie reportedly made the remark at the maiden matriculation and inauguration of the University of Medical Science, Ondo, in Ondo. 

(NAN)

Dangote Group Sponsors 800 Nigerians To Understudy Refinery Operations In India!

A source in the multi-billion Naira company, Dangote Group, has exclusively confirmed to TheCable on Friday that billionaire business mogul and Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, is sending about 800 Nigerians to India, to learn the operations of a petrochemical refinery, adding that the first batch to be trained will leave for India on Sunday, March 20, 2016.

It was learnt that the 800 Nigerians will travel to the Asian country over the next 24 months in a batch of fifties, to learn from the nation with the largest refinery in the world.
India is home to the world’s largest refinery, Jamnagar Refinery Reliance Industries, Jamnagar, which refines as much as 1.2 million barrels per day.

“About 800 will be trained in batches within 24 months. The first batch of 50 is leaving for India on Sunday,” the source said.
Dangote is looking to creating employment within the Nigerian economy, rather than importing expatriates to run the first private refinery in Nigeria.
The refinery, projected to worth $9 billion, is being built to have a refining capacity of about 500,000 to 650,000 barrels per day.

“After receiving a private licence to build a refinery, Dangote has commenced the building of a 650,000 barrel per day (BPD) petroleum refinery, which will be the single largest in the world.

“The refinery would have a larger capacity than all of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) refineries put together,” the conglomerate said in a statement more than a year ago.
Dangote, who hosted Godwin Emefiele, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), at the site of the refinery in January, assured Nigerians that the refinery would be ready to meet the nation’s need by 2018.

NSCDC intercepts smugglers with 225 jerry cans of petrol in Borno

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps(NSCDC) has seized 225 jerry cans containing 5, 625 litres of petrol from black market operators in Maiduguri, Borno.

The state Commandant of NSCDC, Mr Ibrahim Abdullahi, said on Sunday that the products were seized from illegal sources in different locations of the town following night raids.

He blamed the thriving activities of black market operators in Maiduguri on some filling stations which prefer to sell to them to make brisk businesses.

Abdullahi, however, said the NSCDC was bent on stopping all illegal outlets of petrol as they may turn out a source of supply to Boko Haram insurgents.

"Why we must stop their activities is the fact that we do not even know where they are taking these jerry cans of petrol to.

"Some of these people can be hiding under the trade and be supplying Boko Haram.

"We have been sensitising them on the media against black market operations and advising them to look for other businesses to do.

"You will notice that petrol is very scarce these days in Borno; it is not because the fillings stations did not have supply but it is because they prefer to sell to black marketers who pay them very well.

"Our men are going round the town every day and night, what the filling stations do sometimes is to put off their lights so that our men will not notice their activities, "said Abdullahi.

He said the command will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that perpetrators of diversion were brought to book.

"We urge the good people of Borno to be vigilant and report to the command any suspicious activities concerning diversion of petroeum products and other acts of vandalism , "he said. 

(NAN)

Anti- Corruption Campaign: Iliya Pam and Lamide Oluwaseun emerges winners of Integrity Marathon Race

Iliya Pam and Lamide Oluwaseun have emerged winners of the male and female categories of the 42-kilometre Integrity Marathon Race sponsored by Splash FM 105.5, a private radio station in Ibadan.

It was reported that Pam, who had been an all-prize winner in the last three editions, emerged the winner of the male category after completing the race in 2 hours, 39mins and 37 seconds (2:39:37).

Pam, who hails from Nassarawa State had emerged 4th, 2nd and 4th in the fifth, sixth, and seventh edition respectively.

Oluwaseun from Lagos State emerged the winner of the female category after completing the race in 3 hours, 15 minutes and 20 seconds. (3:15:20).

A report shown that Istiphanun Peter, Danjuma Gyan and Goar Moses came second, third and fourth in the male category of the race,.

Four-time winner of the female category, Genevieve Njoku, Kistinwa Stephen and Gyan Stephen emerged second, third and fourth in the female category of the race.

Cheques of N600, 000, N300, 000, N150,000, N90,000, N60, 000 were released for the first, second, third, fourth and fifth positions in the male category respectively.

Also, cheques of N400,000, N200,000, N100,000, N60,000 and N40,000 were given to the first, second, third, fourth and fifth position winners in the female categories respectively.

Pam, the winner of the male category, said he was in the race to finance his education, adding that he had just secured admission into a College of Education.

He said that he had emerged the runner-up in the recently concluded Access Bank race in Lagos but was yet to receive the cash prize.

"I decided to participate in this one to make money to finance my education because the Access Bank race money is yet to be paid," he said.

The marathon race was initiated by Splash Fm 105.5 in 2009, making this year’s edition the eighth.

In his message to the event, the Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr Solomon Dalung, said that it was imperative that sports should be used to combat vices in the society.

Dalung, who was represented by Mr Demola Are, an official in the ministry, commended Splash FM for starting the initiative eight years ago.

He described the initiative as laudable, saying it would complement President Muhammadu Buhari's anti- corruption campaign while promoting good governance, transparency and accountability.

The minister called on well-meaning Nigerians, government as well as Non-Governmental Organisations to assist in grassroots sports development.

Earlier in his address, Chief Adebayo Akande (MFR), the Chairman/Founder of Splash FM, said that the race was aimed at promoting values that could help the nation to tackle corruption.

"As particular to every race, strength is exerted, devotion is required, resilience is needed, tenacity is important and consistency is key.

" These principles are needed in the fight against corruption that serves as hindrance to good governance," he said.

Akande, the Ekefa Olubadan of Ibadanland, said that the race was in support of the present government in its anti-corruption campaign.

"We understand that the level of corruption is rife in the country and there is need to jail corrupt officials.

" We must emphasise that the fight against corruption cannot be won without the cooperation of the people, " he said.

The event also featured a 5-kilometre race tagged, "Running for a Cause" , in which participants donated their cash prizes to various causes.

The programme also featured anti-human trafficking and child labour rally by the Nigeria Immigration Service. 

(NAN)

Anti Trump Protest in Arizona

Dozens of protesters blocked traffic near a Donald Trump event in Arizona on Saturday, while demonstrators marched in New York City to protest the GOP front-runner.

The protesters in Arizona parked vehicles sideways on Shea Boulevard, blocking both lanes of traffic into Fountain Hills, Arizona, where Trump held a rally Saturday afternoon, Maricopa County Sheriff's Office Deputy Joaquin Enriquez told CNN.

Enriquez described Shea Boulevard as the main artery into the area and the protesters' actions were causing motorists to drive into oncoming traffic as they tried to get around them. Traffic was backed up for miles due to the blockage.

"This is causing huge issues for us," Enriquez told CNN. He added, "We obviously have to get this road open."

Enriquez later told CNN that three protesters were arrested and two cars were towed from the boulevard. The deputy emphasized that the arrests were due to protesters blocking the roadway, not because of the protest itself.

Protests at Trump rallies increasingly have become more contentious in recent days. Friday night, protesters outside a Trump rally in Salt Lake City, Utah, tried to breach the venue's doors, causing police officers and Secret Service officers to abruptly shut them as Trump was speaking. And last week, scuffles between protesters and supporters in Chicago led Trump to cancel a rally there.

Trump on Saturday appeared with former Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer and Maricopa Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who endorsed the GOP front-runner in January. Arpaio rose to conservative fame with his aggressive roundups of undocumented immigrants and attention-grabbing tactics like clothing inmates in pink underwear.

Speaking to CNN's Fredricka Whitfield earlier in the day, Arpaio said authorities are "going to do everything we can to continue to have this rally," adding that authorities are "ready for any problems."

"We'll do everything possible to make sure we have free speech in this country. Donald Trump has a right to speak out and the people have a right to go in there and hear him speak," Arpaio said. "If certain groups don't like it, that's OK. They have freedom of speech, but they're not going to violate any laws. They're going to have to pay the consequences."

At the rally, Trump touched upon many of the themes that are familiar in his stump speeches -- including bringing jobs back to the U.S. from overseas, tariffs on products made in Mexico and criticism of President Barack Obama's foreign policy -- but particularly focused on illegal immigration, a major issue in Arizona.

"So much crime. Drugs pouring though the border. People are now seeing it. And you know what? We're going to build the wall and we're going to stop it. It's going to end," Trump said.

He added, "Unless you have a border, you don't have a country. Remember that."

Trump also criticized Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, his main GOP opponent, once again calling him "Lyin' Ted." And the GOP front-runner kept up his attacks on 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney -- who has led the charge to deny Trump the delegates he needs to win the nomination -- saying "he choked like a dog" in the last presidential cycle.

While the protest in Arizona was underway, crowds of demonstrators gathered in Manhattan to march from Columbus Circle near Central Park to Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue.

A small skirmish erupted when protesters started throwing water bottles at police, who were trying to keep them from impeding traffic. A handful of protesters were pepper-sprayed and some were arrested.

Along the march, tourists stopped to snap photos.

Protesters carried signs with messages such as "#CrushTrump" and shouted, "Hey, hey / ho, ho / Donald Trump has got to go."

The march was organized by groups that included immigrant-rights activists and the "Cosmopolitan Antifascists." A Facebook page for the group said it stands for "inclusion, diversity and human rights."

One protester, Malu Huacuja, who is Mexican, said she was protesting Trump's rhetoric on immigration.

"I am not a drug dealer," she said. "I am not a criminal. I am not a rapist ... Hatred is a very dangerous poison in the soul of humanity."

CNN

How many girls are in this image?

It seems simple enough, how many girls are in this image?

Yet people are freaking out online as they argue about the number of people actually in the shot.

As with the infamous dress, this Instagram post has taken a life of its own becoming a viral sensation with over 17,400 likes since it was uploaded last week.

We have Swiss photographer Tiziana Vergari (@tizzia) to thank for this latest head-scratching viral snap. She originally posted the image as a contribution to Instagram's weekend hashtag project, a series where the platform sets a weekly challenge for users around a theme.

Last week's topic, #WHPidentity, asked the Instagram community to share images and video "celebrating individuality."

But, the 'optical illusion' of seeing a row of the same faces repeated has caused confusion.

It seems no one can agree. Is it 13? Or 3? Or 2 sets of twins? Or something else entirely?

One user left baffled by the snap resorts to focusing on the little details posting: "Four, two of the girls have bracelets on plus the eye line is different on two of the girls."

But using that same logic, another says: "I see 6 girls when you look at the bracelets."

Vergari, meanwhile, has confirmed that the photograph she took features -- drum roll please -- two sisters looking into a mirror.

Despite this, users continue to debate the number of girls and how the "optical illusion" was captured in the first place.

Looks like this one will continue to attract thousands of comments as the debate rages on.

CNN

Gupta family defends allegations of wielding undue influence through its links to President Jacob Zuma

The family took out two pages in a newspaper it owns to deny the allegations and respond to criticism.

Deputy Finance Minister Mcebesi Jonas has said that he was offered the top job by a member of the Gupta family.

This has led to increasing pressure on President Zuma.

"As the global economic slowdown began to bite, the family became the scapegoat for every calamity and misfortune that South Africa has faced," the Guptas said in a statement, carried in the local New Age newspaper.

The office of the country's anti-corruption watchdog, known as the Public Protector, has said it is considering whether to investigate the involvement of the Gupta family in state affairs.

Questioned by the opposition in parliament on Thursday about Mr Jonas' allegation, Mr Zuma said: "I'm in charge of the government. There is no minister who was ever appointed by the Guptas."

Mr Zuma's presidency has been marred by allegations of corruption, cronyism and incompetence, amid a worsening economic situation.

Last year, South Africa was hit by a wave of xenophobic violence against African migrants.

A senior governing party official warned on Thursday that the country risked turning into a "mafia state".

Gwede Mantashe is the third most powerful person in the governing African National Congress (ANC), and his remarks suggest Mr Zuma may be losing the confidence of influential members of the party as well, correspondents say.

Senior ANC officials are meeting this weekend and they may examine Mr Zuma's relationship with the Guptas.

The Guptas, who arrived in South Africa from India in 1993, have huge interests in computers, air travel, energy, and technology.

In 2013, there was an outcry after a private jet carrying guests to the wedding of a Gupta family member was allowed to land at a South African military air force base in Pretoria.

BBC