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Snatching of Mace: Omo-Agege committed treason Senate
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today some hoodlums led by suspended senator ovie omo-agege walked into the senate plenary and seized the symbol of authority of the upper legislative chamber the mace2 this action is an act of treason as it is an attempt to overthrow a branch of the federal government of nigeria by force and it must be treated as such2 the senate is now in an executive session.an updated statement will be released immediately after the closed door session he said2 the senate has described as a treaonable felony the action of suspended senator ovie omo-agege who led unidentified men to the chamber of the senate to which is its symbol of authority1 spokesperson of the senate senator aliyu sabi abdullahi described the action as an attempt to overthrow an arm of government describing it as treason1 all security agencies must stand on the side of due process and immediately mobilize their personnel to retrieve the mace and apprehend the mastermind and the perpetrators of this act1 this action is also an affront on the legislature and the leadership of the house has come to express their support against this action1 -
2 teachers jailed over N3m admission scam
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the prosecutor insp. sunday baba had said that the matter was transferred on may 5 2016 from the nigeria defence academy kaduna to the state criminal investigation and intelligence department for investigation1 a chief magistrates court in kaduna on wednesday sentenced two teachers adams jibril 28 and mohammed yusuf 27 to combined 24 months imprisonment for defrauding a man of n3 million1 in her judgment the magistrate mrs zainab mohammed said the prosecution was able to prove the charge of conspiracy cheating impersonation and forgery against jibril1 mohammed thereafter sentenced jibril to 18 months imprisonment with an option of n100000 fine1 she also sentenced yusuf to six months imprisonment on charge of conspiracy and forgery with an option of n20000 fine1 the convicts had however pleaded not guilty to the charges1 the convicts both residents of chechenji road kaduna were arraigned on a five-count charge of criminal conspiracy breach of trust cheating impersonation and forgery1 baba told the court that yahaya abdullahi of kinkinu kaduna in june 2015 reported that the convicts came to his house and defrauded him of n3 million1 the prosecutor said the convicts had deceived the complainant that they would help him get admission for his son abdullaziz at the nigeria defence academy kaduna1 after the complainant gave the convicts the money they later brought the admission letter which was discovered to be fake1 all effort made by the complainant to get his money back proved abortive rather the convicts absconded to an unknown destination baba added1 the prosecutor said the offences contravened sections 97 312179322 and 364 of the penal code of kaduna state 20171 -
Video: How the Senate mace was snatched
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the senate is now in an executive session.an updated statement will be released immediately after the closed door session he said2 we are determined to conclude all matters slated on the order paper for today even if it means us sitting until 6pm said ekweremadu2 he described the action as an attempt to overthrow an arm of government. he said it was treason2 today some hoodlums led by suspended senator ovie omo-agege walked into the senate plenary and seized the symbol of authority of the upper legislative chamber the mace2 this action is an act of treason as it is an attempt to overthrow a branch of the federal government of nigeria by force and it must be treated as such2 at the moment some house of representatives members led by deputy speaker. hon. yusuf lasun are in the senate chambers in solidarity visits. the session is presently live on nta channel 102 spokesperson of the senate senator aliyu sabi abdullahi accused senator ovie omo-agege of masterminding the snatching of the mace2 the senate has mandated the inspector general of police mr. idris kpotum ibrahim and director general of the state security services sss malam lawan daura to retrieve the mace stolen by the hoodlums within 24 hours2 the session is holding with the mace the official symbol of authority firmly in place and deputy senate president ike ekweremadu presiding2 the senate also decided that it will get to the roots of this sad assault on democracy and an obvious act of treason which the seizure of the mace by some armed hoodlums represents. the hoodlums severely attacked some members of staff of the national assembly particularly the sergeant-at-arms on chamber duties2 in an updated statement abdullahi sabi said the senate resumed plenary after coming out of the executive session where the earlier incident of forceful removal of the mace was deliberated upon1 all security agencies must stand on the side of due process and immediately mobilise their personnel to retrieve the mace and apprehend the mastermind and the perpetrators of this act1 the senate has urged the inspector general of police and the director-general of the department of state services dss to retrieve the mace snatched today by some hoodlums who accompanied senator ovie omo-agege to protest his suspension today1 -
Kenya on course to achieve malaria free status Officials
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kariuki said that kenya has borrowed international best practices to reignite the fight against malaria through mass distribution of second generation of treated nets diagnostic kits in public hospitals and improved case management.1 kenya is likely to achieve the un target of total malaria eradication by 2030 as the government and bilateral partners roll out robust interventions to contain the disease officials said on wednesday1 kenya has made notable progress in combating malaria as prevalence rate drops due to a combination of policy funding and biomedical interventions.1 our goal to achieve malaria free status is within reach said kariuki ahead of world malaria day to be observed on april 25.1 statistics from kenyas ministry of health indicate that malaria remains the leading killer of pregnant mothers and children under five years old in the east african nation.1 an estimated 70 per cent of kenyan population is at the risk of contracting malaria and the disease is to blame for declining economic productivity and poor school enrollment in endemic regions.1 sicily kariuki the cabinet secretary for health said kenya has the potential to achieve the vision of malaria free status subject to robust investments in diagnostic kits case management and public education.1 malaria prevention through distribution of treated bed nets rapid diagnosis and treatment advocacy and social mobilisation are part of strategies to realize a malaria free status in the country said kariuki.1 she disclosed that piloting of a malaria vaccine that will commence later in the year will rejuvenate the fight against the vector borne disease.1 kenya will implement a long-term strategy to accelerate progress towards elimination of malaria in the high endemic coastal strip and western region.1 ejersa waqo the head of national malaria programme in the ministry of health said that improved governance research public awareness and domestic resource mobilization will reduce malaria burden in kenya.1 our new strategy to eliminate malaria in the country is embedded in the universal health coverage goal outlined by the president said waqo.1 he revealed the government is addressing policy technical and financing bottlenecks that have undermined the fight against malaria in the country. xinhuanan1 -
APC unveils new website, social media accounts
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the all progressives congress apc has unveiled a new website and other official social media accounts1 the partys national publicity secretary bolaji abdullahi gave the website address as1 abdullahi said the apc twitter handle is httpstwitter.comofficialapcng1 the other social media accounts of the ruling party are facebook httpsweb.facebook.comofficialapcng1 instagram httpswww.instagram.comofficialapcng1 youtube official apc nigeria1 abdullahi said the newly-designed website features a streamlined and uncluttered design offering user-friendly functionality and rich content1 this website as well as the official social media accounts offers quick and easy access to essential information and features to keep party members the media and indeed the general public abreast of party activities the apc-led federal government and apc-governed states1 abdullahi said apcs new website will be regularly updated with news on party accomplishments and events1 visitors are encouraged to explore the new website and sign up for apcs mailing list and newsletter to receive direct emails on the contact us page. also follow the apc on the listed social media accounts abdullahi said1 -
Badaru chairs APC National Convention Committee
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governor abubakar badaru of jigawa state is the chairman of the ruling all progressives congress apc national convention committee the party announced on sunday1 according to apcs organising secretary sen. osita izunaso in the partys news social media handle the 68-member committee has governors of imo borno katsina oyo yobe kaduna plateau adamawa kogi and edo as members1 membership of the committee which also included serving and former senators and members of house of representatives and notable party chieftains has ondo state governor rotimi akeredolu and sen. ben uwajumogu as deputy chairman and secretary respectively1 the news agency of nigeria na gathered that stakeholders in the party settled for badaru after much negotiation between the different power blocs in the party1 it was learnt that governors elected on the partys platform settled for their jigawa counterpart because he is one of them and could best protect their interest1 this is especially so because he was a member of the defunct action congress of nigeria and the tinubu bloc is believed to have seen him as a bastion of its ideals. nan1 -
Al-Assad cannot be part of Syria solution German Minister
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the syrian crisis needs a negotiated solution involving all powers in theregion german foreign minister heiko maas said on monday adding he could not imagine anyone who had usedchemical weapons against his own people to be part of that process1 maas was asked whether syrian president bashar al-assad could be part of a solution to the crisis in syria1 there will be a solution involving everyone who has influence on the region he told reporters on arrival to a meeting of eu foreign ministers in brussels.1 nobody can imagine someone who uses chemical weapons against his own people to be part of this solution1 nan reports that the u. s. britain and france fired more than 100 missiles at syria on friday in a one-time shot the pentagon said followed evidence that al-assad was responsible for a chemical weapons attackusing at least chlorine gas.1 while turkey is cooperating with both russia and iran to wind down some of the violence in syria ankara has long demanded that president al-assad must go and has backed rebels against him. assads main supporters are moscow and tehran.1 turkey has also been at loggerheads with washington over u.s. support for the syrian kurdish ypg militia which ankara considers a terrorist organisation linked to kurdish militants waging a decades-long insurgency in turkish soil.1 turkey supported the air strikes by u.s. british and french forces saying the move sent a message to al-assad.1 -
How Macron convinced Trump to strike Syria
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macron made the confession while appearing in a two-hour live broadcast on french television bfm and online investigative site mediapart2 it has been revealed that french president emmanuel macron persuaded president donald trump not to pullout u.s. soldiers in syria to enable him launch airstrikes as punishment for the bashar al-assad led-government for an alleged chemical weapons attack on his people1 the 40-year-old leader said the u.s. britain and france had full international legitimacy to intervene in order to enforce international humanitarian law1 the allies fired missiles early saturday at three chemical-weapons facilities in syria to punish the regime for the alleged use of chemical weapons in the town of douma1 it was retaliation not an act of war macron said in justifying the operation a day before the french parliament was set to debate it1 the airstrikes marked macrons biggest foreign policy yet. nearly a year into his term the new president declared france the most active country on the diplomatic field and at the united nations1 ten days ago president trump wanted the united states of america to withdraw from syria. we convinced him to remain he said speaking in the majestic room of chaillot national theater with the eiffel tower shining in the background1 he said france now wants to involve western powers russia and turkey in a new diplomatic initiative to find a sustainable political solution in syria1 macron also offered to play the role of intermediary between the united states and russia1 -
Gov. Emmanuels aide Etang abandons PDP for APC
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according to him he has refused overtures from pdp leaders in the state in the last few days not to defect to apc1 mr ibanga etang an aide to gov. mr udom emmanuel of akwa ibom has defected to the all progressive congress apc1 etang a former chairman of esit eket local government resigned on april 9 as special assistant to the governor on projects andformally registered with the apc at his etebi ward 7 along with over 300 followers on april 101 addressing his supporters at a post-defection meeting on friday etang said with their entry into apc the party stood 70 per cent chance of winning esit eket local government area1 etang who was also a former president of afigh iwaad ekid the umbrella youth organization in eket federal constituency said he left the pdp because of impunity1 i blame the continuing exodus from the esit eket pdp on a situation where an individual takes esit eket as his personal property he stated1 the news agency of nigeria nan reports that etang had also served as special assistant to former gov. godswill akpabio1 it would be recalled that few months ago the governors special assistant on electoral matters mr chris okorie also dumped thepeoples democratic party pdp for apc1 he said i vowed that my supporters and i have decided to move on and no going back1 in his resignation letter to the governor he said he was leaving because it was necessary to depart now in line with the dictates of my conscience and highest level of sincerity1 receiving the defectors mr bassey dan-abia jnr a former member of the house of representatives said the apc has been increasing in number andexpressed optimism that the party would take over the state in 20191 he commended the defectors for their courage and boldness and assured them of federal government lofty programmes for the state1 nan reports that seven chieftains of the pdp in the local government have so far defected o apc1 they include sen. etang umoyo a former managing director of niger delta development commission nddc bassey dan-abia a former nddc commissionermr imaobong inyang a retired permanent secretary dr. mike eyo and two former house of representatives members bassey dan-abia jnr. and eseme eyiboh1 -
Ekiti Guber: Olujimi, tested former deputy Gov. joins race
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olujimi who has served as a deputy governor in the state officially submitted her nomination form at the headquarters of the peoples democratic party pdp in abuja1 olujimi who was accompanied by sen. stella oduah and and several of her colleagues is the only female principal officer in the senate and the first female candidate to officially join the race1 speaking to newsmen shortly after submitting her form she said that her candidature was for the people of ekiti state saying that moving forward their concerns must always come first1 let me be clear todays submission of this form is not just an intent to run it is an intent to serve. it is a message to the people my people of ekiti state that the time has come1 the time has come for a government that will always put your concerns first. this form that has been submitted today represents the interests the best-wishes and the prayers of millions of people in ekiti state who want a government that will always put their needs first1 she underlined the need for nigerians going into the 2019 elections to always look at the track record of candidates and vote for issues performance and track-records1 my track-record speaks for itself the deputy minority whip said1 the ekiti people know this and the members of my party know this. now that i have submitted this form it is time to hit the ground running. it is time to sell my vision for the future of the great state of ekiti both to the people of ekiti and my party members1 other senators who accompanied olujimi for the submission of her form include senators attai aidoko mohammed hassan and matthew uroghide1 -
Adesina: Why Ill vote Buhari again and again
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he told me look at this sprawling place. just two of us waiting to see the president. it didnt use to be like this. up to 3 a.m daily the place used to be like a market filled with men women from within and outside the country. they would come to seal all kinds of deals on petroleum power transport iron and steel and all others. and of course the president and his household would always have a cut. the wheeler-dealers would also have their cut. who dares approach this president with such proposa1 -
Shooting at Enugu burial: One woman killed, another wounded
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it was further gathered that as the burial ceremony hit up and the suspect tried unslinging his gun it allegedly discharged accidentally and hit one ngozi eze 40 from amanato mburumbu community who was confirmed dead1 the police have commenced investigation into an alleged accidental shooting at an enugu burial ceremony which led to the death of a woman and wounding of the chief mourner on saturday1 amaraizu said the incident occurred at amanato mburumbu community in nkanu east local government area adding that the police recovered a locally-made single barrel gun at the scene of the incident1 amaraizu said the victims were a woman and the chief mourner1 it was gathered that tragedy struck when a man identified as daniel chukwu of amanato mburumbu community stormed the burial ceremony arena with his single barrel locally-made gun and perhaps never knew it was already set for action1 the enugu state police commands spokesman sp ebere amaraizu made this known in a statement on saturday1 the chief mourner identified as one hawaya nworiuzo was also injured hence he was rushed to hospital for medical attention1 the situation shocked sympathisers who scampered for their safety at about 12 noon today he said1 amaraizu said that the suspect was helping the police in their investigation1 he also said the corpse of the dead had been deposited in a nearby mortuary for autopsy. nan1 ksnjce1 -
40,000 bid Winnie Mandela final goodbye
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she lived in constant naked contact with danger prepared to lose her life even the lives of her own children who were put into danger by her political activities malema said to loud cheers in the stadium1 more than 40000 south africans from across the political spectrum gathered at the funeral ceremony of winnie mandela in her beloved soweto to wish her a final goodbye on saturday. and it was a glorious exit for the famous anti-apartheid heroine1 the official funeral service for the ex-wife of the late nelson mandela took place on saturday morning in soweto the johannesburg township at the forefront of the battle against apartheid where she lived1 president cyril ramaphosa said that just as south africa grieved for madikizela-mandela it was comforted by the profound meaning of her life1 in death she has demonstrated that our many differences along political party and racial lines and the numerous disputes we may have are eclipsed by our shared desire to follow her lead in building a just equitable and caring society he said1 loudly and without apology she spoke truth to power. it was those in power who insecure and fearful visited upon her the most vindictive and callous retribution. yet through everything she endured. they could not break her. they could not silence her1 the afternoon burial ceremony at fourways memorial park cemetery north of johannesburg ended a nearly two-week mourning period declared by the government1 earlier mourners sang and cheered as madikizela-mandelas body was brought into the 40000-seat orlando stadium filled to capacity for the funeral service1 many mourners were clad in the green and yellow colors of the anc. members of the leftist economic freedom fighters eff party also attended in large numbers1 eff leader julius malema an admirer of madikizela-mandela who echoes her fiery rhetoric said she had always put the country above her own personal safety in the fight against apartheid1 madikizela-mandelas death on april 2 at the age of 81 after a long illness was met by an outpouring of emotion across the country with the ruling african national congress anc and opposition parties holding memorials to remember her courage in the struggle to end white-minority rule1 fighting spirit1 during mandelas 27-year incarceration for his fight against apartheid madikizela-mandela campaigned for his release and for the rights of black south africans undergoing detention banishment and arrest1 i appreciate many things about her. she represents a fighting spirit because even though she lived through the apartheid era she never gave up said 20-year old college student gift mokale. im very grateful to be here today1 also present at the funeral service were former presidents thabo mbeki kgalema motlanthe and jacob zuma dignitaries from african countries and celebrities such as british supermodel naomi campbell and u.s. civil rights activist jesse jackson1 for many south africans the most memorable image of madikizela-mandela is of her punching the air in a clenched-fist salute as she walked hand-in-hand with mandela out of victor verster prison near cape town on feb. 11 19901 for husband and wife it was a crowning moment that led four years later to the end of centuries of white domination when mandela became south africas first black president1 madikizela-mandelas legacy however was later tarnished1 as evidence emerged in the dying years of apartheid of the brutality of her soweto enforcers known as the mandela united football club some south africans questioned her mother of the nation soubriquet1 in 1991 madikizela-mandela was convicted of kidnapping and being an accessory to assault but her six-year jail sentence was reduced to a fine and a two-year suspended sentence on appeal1 -
Video: Nigerias Population: A Blessing or Curse?
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he therefore advised that irrespective of religious beliefs population be included in the nations political agenda saying that we need to enact policies that will help us manage our population better1 since the news agency of nigeria broke the news that nigerias population has been officially estimated at 198 million as announced by the national population commission npc the subject has been trending especially in relation to what it portends for the nigerian economy1 nan-tvs iyiola pedro captured one of such debate at the vanguard economic discourse held at the civic centre victoria island lagos1 nan reports that the event was chaired by mr. bukar kyari chairman nigeria economic summit group nesg while the panelists included mr. olabode agusto chief executive officer of agusto and co mrs patience oniha director-general debt management office dmo mr muda yusuf director-general lagos chamber of commerce and industry lcci comrade issa aremu vice president global union african region mr opeyemi agbaje chief executive officer rtc advisory services and mr tony okpanachi managing director devel1 filmed1 according to mr bode agusto founder bode agusto1 however while some people believe the newly released figure is as an asset there are those who feel otherwise1 when we got independence in 1960 the population of nigeria was 46 million the united kingdom great britain and northern ireland 52 million 6 million people more than us1 by 2015 the uk moved from 52 to 62 million nigeria moved from 46 to 185 million1 according to the population pyramid by 2070 the uk will be 80 million nigeria will be 552 million1 it means that demand for primary school is going to be much bigger the number of teachers well need will be more vaccines to inoculate will be more number of secondary schools and classrooms1 we need to send them to secondary school keep them healthy and after they leave school we would have to find work for them otherwise they will become what we call in finance non earning assets1 so at the end of the day we measure the wealth of a nation by the number of yams we have produced divided by the number of people who are going to eat it yam per head he said1 -
Banks, churches very corrupt: Femi Falana
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renowned human rights activist femi falana san has hit hard on the private sector and churches as being nests of corruption more than government institutions1 falana made the remark at the 2018 edition of the vanguard economic discourse themed economy in recession pitfalls trajectories and resetting1 the event held at the civic centre victoria island lagos1 -
Nigeria rise, Argentina, Iceland and Croatia fall in April Fifa Ranking
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russia 201812 argentina2 however2 super eagles’ 2018 world cup group d foes plunged no thanks to their unimpressive performance during the fifa international window2 nigeria rise1 iceland and croatia fall in april fifa ranking1 -
FG commits to assist 36 states without bias
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he said abia had blazed the trail in the utilisation of global system of mobile telecommunication gsm in the delivery of quality healthcare to the people of the state1 vice president yemi osinbajo has said government would continue to assist the 36 states irrespective of their party affiliation and also commit to the peoples welfare especially the poor and vulnerable1 osinbajo made the commitment on thursday in umuahia at the inauguration of the states tele-health initiative dial-a-doctor which he described as commendable effort in the healthcare delivery system in the state1 at the inauguration of the national economic council nec in 2015 the president publicly declared that our own nec will assist every state because poverty in our nation is no respecter of ethnic group religion or party affiliation1 the vice president said that in line with the decision the federal government had so far supported states without discrimination along party lines to the tune of n1.91 trillion1 today we are feeding 7.9million children in our own school feeding programme in 22 states1 we have employed over 200 000 graduates in our n-power scheme and 300000 more awaiting funding1 we are giving loans to over 300 000 traders and we are heading for a million traders and artisans1 we are giving 5000 monthly to 300000 of the poorest families in all the states of nigeria without discrimination along party lines osinbajo said1 he also spoke on the federal governments school feeding programme saying that 125684 pupils in 724 schools in abia were being fed with no fewer than 2000 cooks handling the contract1 this is one state where there is collaboration between the state government and the federal government in the school feeding programme1 the federal government is feeding classes one to three and the state government is feeding classes four to six1 this is exactly the way the federal government designed it to be he said1 osinbajo further said that the federal government had given out loans to over 7500 small businesses in the state1 in the healthcare sector we have the save-one-million lives programme which has made available 1.5 million to each state to improve the quality of basic healthcare especially to women and children he said1 on the tele-health initiative he said that it has become expedient for nigeria to embrace technology to close the healthcare gap between the urban and rural areas1 he said the gesture was a clear departure from the primordial practice where past administrations at the centre limited their assistance to states ruled by the party at the centre1 this is an especially exciting project because it is leveraging on available technology in this case the mobile phone to deliver affordable healthcare to the people1 osinbajo said that available records showed that abia had about 1.5 million mobile phones1 according to him the state has taken the lead in utilising the potential that mobile phone has as a means for delivering healthcare for the people1 i am told that citizens can through a dedicated telephone line and affordable prepaid cards access medical care through a state-wide network of doctors and communicate1 the initiative would cut the time spent travelling to see a doctor or waiting in line to see a doctor in a healthcare facility1 it will make abia stand out in the healthcare delivery as a people-centred state that is open to life-changing innovation1 this is a very commendable initiative osinbajo said1 he however said that the success of the programme would depend on the willingness of stakeholders to take on feedback and make the adjustments necessary to meet the evolving needs of the target beneficiaries1 according to the vice president this initiative would be helpful to the state and other states that would want to copy it1 he assured abia government of the unwavering commitment of the federal government to continue to partner and collaborate on any programmes designed to better the lives of the people1 in his speech gov. okezie ikpeazu described the programme as a dream come true saying the initiative is the future of healthcare delivery in nigeria and africa1 ikpeazu said that the state government would leverage on the programme not only to improve life expectancy in abia but surpass the average national life expectancy1 in a goodwill message the minister of health prof. isaac adewole commended the state government for the initiative1 adewole who was represented by the medical director federal medical centre umuahia dr. chuku abali said that the programme had the potential to make healthcare accessible to millions of abia residents if properly harnessed1 the commissioner for health dr. john ahukanna said that the programme would make it possible for people to dial a dedicated gsm number and get medical attention from a doctor in the comfort of their homes. nan1 -
Maritime University starts lectures
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the take-off of the university is yet another promise fulfilled to the people of niger delta by the buhari administration1 granted approval in january by the national universities commission nuc to commence undergraduate degree programmes effective from the 20172018 academic session1 the joint admissions and matriculation board jamb also listed the university in its central admissions processing system in january 24 2018 while interviews for academic staff positions were conducted between 1and 2of march 20181 the nuc had approved that academic activities commence in three faculties namely transport engineering and environmental management with a combined total of 13 departments with various specialisations from marine engineering marine economics to climate change fisheries and aquaculture1 president muhammadu buhari approved an increase in the take-off grant allocated to the university from the n2bn earlier announced to n5bn1 the allocation was included in the 2018 budget presented to the national assembly in november 20171 similarlyan additionaln1billion was approved by the president to support essential infrastructure works and staff recruitment in the universityin november 20171 also following the commencement of operations in 2017 the university had in november 2017 invited job applications for academic staff with advert placement in major national dailies1 the delta state government had also donated two 500kva generators to the university1 following president muhammadu buharis meeting with leaders of pan niger delta forum pandefin november 2016 vice president yemi osinbajo san was delegated to undertake a tour of the oil producing communities in 2017 and thetake-off of the maritime university was one of the major requests tabled before the federal government1