By Johnson Eyiangho

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons (NAPTIP) has sought the cooperation of the Armed Forces in the fight against human trafficking in the country.

The Acting Director Defence Information DDI, Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, said in a statement on Saturday that the Director-General of the agency, Ms Julie Okah-Donli made the appeal during a visit to the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Abayomi Olanisakin.

OkahDonli said collaboration between the armed forces and NAPTIP would combat human trafficking and unlawful exploitation of children, especially in insurgency-hit communities in the North East.

She described the military as a strong ally in the effort to rid the country of child trafficking.

The director-general also sought the militarys cooperation in the protection of victims of human trafficking.

She described them as vulnerable children and women engaged in dehumanising and exploitative employment by unscrupulous persons and groups.

Responding, the CDS commended the agency for the achievements recorded in the areas of awareness, rescue of trafficked victims and prosecution of offenders.

Olonisakin, who was represented by the Chief of Defence Policy and Plans, Air Vice Marshal Nurudeen Balogun, assured the agency of the armed forces cooperation in curbing human trafficking.

Source: NAN

Nestlé’s Research and Development (R&D) Innovation Challenge has launched its Sub-Saharan Africa challenge in Lagos, Nigeria after it kicked off earlier in the week in Ghana.

The company said at the launch of the challenge that it was part of the company’s efforts to contribute to the local innovation ecosystem.

“It is expected that the challenge will help to boost local entrepreneurship, as well as provide a platform for start-ups, researchers and developers to contribute to local sustainable growth by bringing breakthrough ideas to the market.

“The innovation challenge aims to bring partners together to identify sustainable and scalable science and technology solutions that help to accelerate the innovation of products that meet local consumer needs.

“The R&D innovation challenge will also take place in Kenya, South Africa, Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal, it said in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

“The goal is to work collaboratively with start-ups and universities to identify sustainable and scalable science and technology solutions that help to accelerate the innovation of products that meet local consumer needs.

“The R&D innovation challenge calls for novel solutions across four areas: environmentally-friendly packaging solutions, sustainable cocoa plantlets, affordable nutrition and new routes to market.’’

Stefan Palzer, Nestlé Chief Technology Officer said: There is a growing number of Africa-based entrepreneurs and local researchers with creative ideas to address issues facing their communities.

“This R&D innovation challenge presents for our company an exceptional opportunity to leverage the outstanding creativity, while helping to turn the most promising ideas into reality.”

He said that to engage with local start-ups, Nestlé partnered with Kinaya Ventures as part of the Spring Fellowship Programme, which is designed to accelerate corporate start-up partnerships and catalyze digital entrepreneurship.

The challenge also calls upon universities in Central and West African countries to submit solutions, he added.

The statement noted that selected teams would enter an accelerator programme to help advance and potentially commercialise their ideas.

“During the accelerator, the start-up and university teams will have access to Nestlé’s R&D expertise and infrastructure at the R&D Centre in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, including shared labs, kitchens and pilot-testing equipment.

“At the end of the accelerator, teams will have the opportunity to pitch their proof of concept to Nestlé management.’’

Speaking on the challenge, Mr Mauricio Alarcon, the MD/CEO of Nestlé Nigeria said, “Today, consumer needs and challenges are rapidly evolving.

“Individuals and families expect tasty nutritious food choices that are at the same time affordable and accessible.

“Innovation has a critical role to play in providing solutions to these needs and challenges.

“It is also a key driver of economic growth. We are therefore, happy to launch the R&D challenge today to provide a platform for collaborating with local start-ups, academia and key external partners.’’

The R&D innovation challenge is part of Nestlé’s Global Youth Initiative which has an ambition to help 10 million young people around the world have access to economic opportunities by 2030.

This supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals on promoting inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all.

In 2018, Nestlé also partnered with Ashoka and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation to create the Social Investment Accelerator, which accelerates social entrepreneurship and boosts economic development of Africa.

Nestlé has the world’s largest private food and nutrition research organisation, involving about 5,000 people in around 30 R&D centers worldwide, including the R&D Center in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, which opened in 2008.

With nutrition at its core, Nestlé R&D is committed to make the Nestlé portfolio even tastier and healthier, to fulfil its purpose of enhancing quality of life of people and contributing to a healthier future. In 2018, Nestlé invested about CHF 1.7 billion in R&D.

Mastercard We are the global technology company behind the worlds fastest payments processing network. We are a vehicle for commerce, a connection to financial systems for the previously excluded, a technology innovation lab, and the home of Priceless. We ensure every employee has the opportunity to be a part of something bigger and to change lives. We believe as our company grows, so should you. We believe in connecting everyone to endless, priceless possibilities.

Applications are invited for:

Title:Mastercard 2019 Summer Intern Program

Job ref.: R-85242

Location:Lagos, Nigeria

Job type: Full-time



Job Descriptions

• The Mastercard Summer Intern Program is a 8 week comprehensive program where students will gain hands on real work-life skills while having fun and contributing to a global company.
• As an intern, you will be challenged with completing projects that will enhance your skills as well as contribute to the departments goals and objectives.

Program Dates & Components:

• July 1st, 2019 – August 31st, 2019

• Impactful assignments that drive business results

• Networking sessions and leadership speakers series

• Volunteer and team building experiences

Program Qualifications

• Ability to partner across the organization

• Sound communication skills

• Current students pursuing a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree graduating between December 2019 and May 2021

• Evidence of strong academics, cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above

• Innovative thinking and thoughtful risk taking

Opportunities may be available in:

• Sales/Account Management

• Locations: Based on the team/department the position may be located in Mastercard Office.

• Cyber and Intelligence Solutions

• Marketing and Communications

• Products and Innovation

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should: Click Here

The UCD Smurfit School in partnership with Next Generation Recruitment is offering the MSc in Business Analytics Derek OConnor Scholarship at Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School.

The program is available for Irish and International students and having the motive to support them in making a bright future and creating a positive impact on society.

Eligibility

• Eligible Countries:Besides the employees of UCD and Next Generation Recruitment, international and Irish candidates are eligible.
• Acceptable Course or Subjects: They can apply for an MSc in Business Analytics degree program at UCD.
• Admissible Criteria: An applicant must be available to commence the full or part-time degree program in early September 2019.

How to Apply:For being a part of this opportunity, students have to take admission in an MSc in Business Analytics degree program at the university. After registering themselves, they can send their application for the grant through email [email protected].

• Supporting Documents:A strong curriculum vitae or resume, an excellently written essay answering in the course application within 300 words, academic transcripts, and language proficiency test scores need to be attached with the admission.
• Admission Requirements:Applicants must have a first-class Irish honors degree or equivalent.
• Language Requirement:Those candidates whose local language is not English are required to take IELTS or TOEFL test and demonstrate their ability by scoring a minimum of 7.0 in IELTS or 100/200 in TOEFL.

Benefits:The free tuition award will cover full-time tuition fee which worth up to a maximum value of 13,995.

Apply Now

Scholarship Application Deadline:June 28, 2019

Source: Scholarships And Aid

Admiring for an opportunity to study in Australia but worried about the costs? You can apply for the Green Match sustainability Scholarship in the UK at University of Glasgow.

High achieving candidates from all around the world are invited to apply. The fund is available to studymastersandPhDdegree program for session 2019-202.

Eligibility

• • Eligible Countries:Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros Congo, Congo Democratic Republic of, Costa Rica, Cote dIvoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, England, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Korea North, Korea South, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgystan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar(Burma), Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Northern Ireland, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Palestine, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Spain, Sri Lanka, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vatican City, Venezuela, Vietnam, Wales, Yemen, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
  • Acceptable Course or Subjects: Postgraduate or undergraduate degree coursework in any subject offered by the university.
• Admissible Criteria: To take part in this program, the applicant must be a full-time undergraduate and postgraduate student in multiple subjects offered by the university. They must have to start their session in 2019-2020.

How to Apply:To be admitted in this program, claimants are recommended to take admission in anundergraduateorpostgraduatedegree at the university. After being enrolled, applicants can send their application with all documents to [email protected].

• Supporting Documents:Aspirants need to attach the statement of purpose, letter of motivation, letter of motivation, transcript and curriculum vitae and write an essay of 1,000 words. Topic: In what way can sustainability help for better student life? Describe specific actions you have taken to transition to a greener lifestyle.
• Admission Requirements:For admission, students are required to meet the admission requirements of the university.
• Language Requirement:Seekers will be asked to provide evidence of their written and spoken English language ability.

Benefits:The successful candidates will get the amount worth up to 1,000 for the duration of their studies.

Apply Now

Scholarship Application Deadline:October 31, 2019

Source: Scholarships And Aid

Startup Nigeria is a 3-Month Incubation Program designed to support innovative idea-staged companies across Nigeria with funding, mentorship and trainings. The curriculum is specifically designed to move companies from ideas to viable products/services.

The Startup Nigeria Program gives Founders the needed leverage to excel with our specially designed curriculum to help idea and early-stage entrepreneurs find their footing and grow in Nigerias socio-economic terrain.

Eligibility Criteria

• Open to startups in Nigeria (in the North West, North Central and South East geopolitical zones) that have a brilliant and innovative startup idea that they want to bring to fruition.

Startup Nigeria Incubation Program Benefits.

• Receive up to 2Million Naira in equity-free funding.
• The Startup Nigeria Program provides training that helps the companies to validate and justify their core idea and hypothesis and which help them in further building their services and products.
• The startups are provided with professional mentorship that aids in the growth of business and helps the entrepreneurs to succeed faster.
• The startups also receive funding to aid their idea to move forward and to support the act of fundraising in the future.

Scholarship Application Deadline

• Call for Application:The call for application stage commences from May 27 and ends on June 17, 2019
• Virtual Training:The next stage is the Virtual Training which starts in the first week of July (July 8) and ends on July 26, 2019.
• Virtual Training:The Incubation period goes on simultaneously with the Virtual Training. The Incubation stage starts from July 2 and ends on July 26, 2019.
• Pitch Bootcamp:The stage of the Pitch Bootcamp is scheduled for July 29 and 30.
• Demo Day and Post Program Support:The month of July is also booked for Demo Day while the months of August and September are for Post Program Support.

Method of Application:

Interested candidates who meet the criteria listed above should apply by clicking on the Apply button below:

APPLY HERE

OFFICIAL LINK

Source: Scholarships And Aid

SSE MBA Executive Format gives you the opportunity to increase your knowledge and skills in terms of leading and developing companies and organizations.During the course of the program you work throughout both large and small learning projects that give direct effect to your organization.

This scholarship program is based on cooperation between Dagens Industri, utbildning.se and Stockholm School of Economics. It offers the opportunity to pursue your dreams and get the skills for successfully leading and developing companies and organizations.

The scholarship is available for one student for Stockholm School of Economics Executive MBA Program starting January 27, 2020. It is offered annually and is to be taken in Sweden.

Stockholm School of Economics (SSE) MBA Scholarship Eligibility.

• All nationalities are eligible to apply;
• You must at least have a three year academic degree, equivalent to 180 credits;
• You must at least five years of relevant work life experience;
• You must have excellent English language skills.

Stockholm School of Economics (SSE) MBA Scholarship Benefits.

• Scholarship covers the full tuition fee of SEK 495,000 VAT for one student for the MBA Executive Format at Stockholm School of Economics.

Stockholm School of Economics (SSE) MBA Scholarship Selection.

• 12 to 15 of the applicants will be asked to provide a full application, and 5 to 7 finalists will then be interviewed and presented to the jury, consisting of representatives from Dagens industri, utbildning.se and Stockholm School of Economics. The jury selects the recipient of the scholarship.

Method of Application

Prepare to submit your contact details, academic background and work-life experience. As well as a motivation (maximum 2500 character) for why you should be awarded the scholarship.

APPLY HERE

OFFICIAL LINK

Scholarship Application Deadline: June 24th 2019.

Source: Scholarships And Aid

Petroleum Industry Christian Fellowship International (PICFI), an interdenominational Christian organization made up of Christians working in both the International and Local Oil and Gas Companies in Nigeria, has the vision to establish the Kingdom of God in the Petroleum Industry; improve its performance; advocate just and equitable distribution of its associated wealth for social change and national building.

Eligibility Criteria

Only candidates currently enrolled in disciplines related to the following areas should apply:

• Sciences/Applied Sciences
• Engineering/Engineering Technology
• Mathematics
• Law
• Economics
• Accounting

Any prospective beneficiary must:

• Be a certified Full Time -Year One student of any Nigerian Federal or State University at the time of this application
• Not above 25 years of age by 31st December 2019
• Have a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of not less than 3.5
• Not be on any other scholarship award from other companies or agencies.
• Application is open to 100 level students only.

Method of Application

• Before you start this application, ensure you have clearly scanned copies of the following documents:
  • Passport photograph with white background not more than 3 months old (450px by 450px not more than 200kb)
  • School ID Card
  • Olevel Certificate (WAEC or NECO)
  • Admission Letter
  • Birth Certificate
  • Proof of Local Government Area of Origin
  • JAMB Result
  • Short Essay Reason to Receive the Scholarship
• Ensure the documents are named according to what they represent to avoid mixing up documents during upload
• Ensure you attach the appropriate documents when asked to upload
• Ensure to provide valid Email and Phone Contact for effective communication

APPLY HERE

OFFICIAL LINK

Scholarship Application Deadline: Monday, 22nd June 2019.

Source: Scholarships And Aid

About

---

This meetup group is for anyone who would like to learn more about the open source KNIME data analytics platform, share data analytics best practices, and network with people interested in data mining.

---

Commenced: Friday May 29 2015

---

Member Strength: 67

---

Meetup City: Lagos

---

Join Mode: approval

---

Open To: public

---

Web Address:

Lagos KNIME Users

---

Organizer: Heather

---

Source: Meetup

About

---

PyData Lagos is a group for users and developers of data analysis tools to share ideas and learn from each other. We gather to discuss how best to apply Python , as R and Julia tools, to meet the evolving challenges in all aspects of data management, processing, analytics, and visualization. The goal of Pydata Lagos groups, events, and conferences is to provide avenues for data enthusiast across various domains of data analysis to share their experiences and techniques. PyData Lagos is expecially passionate about using data analytics to solve African's unique challenges. PyData Lagos is supported by NumFOCUS.org, a 501(c)3 non-profit in the United States. The PyData Code of Conduct (http://pydata.org/code-of-conduct.html) governs this meetup. To discuss any issues or concerns relating to the code of conduct or the behavior of anyone at a PyData meetup, please contact the co-organizer: Osayamen Omigie ([email protected]) or NumFOCUS Executive Director Leah Silen ( 1 512-222-5449; [email protected]).

---

Commenced: Wednesday January 18 2017

---

Member Strength: 1768

---

Meetup City: Lagos

---

Join Mode: open

---

Open To: public

---

Web Address:

PyData Lagos

---

Organizer: osayamen omigie

---

Source: Meetup

The outgoing Governor of Borno, Kashim Shettima, has expressed shock over the death of a government house steward, Mr John Achagwa, who committed suicide on Tuesday.
Achagwa, a steward at the Presidential lodge of the Government House, Maiduguri, took his life by hanging himself on a tree.

A statement issued by Mr Isa Gusau, Special Adviser on Communications and Strategy, said Shettima was shocked by the unfortunate incident.

“Shettima is deeply shock by the unfortunate incident, given the fact that the deceased known to be one of the Governor’s favourites as he served important guests at the Presidential lodge for more than 30 years.

“When he retired from civil service; Shettima had requested him to be retained as casual staff because of his good service and the confidence repose in him.

” The outgoing governor supported the deceased with personal funds which he used in completing his house at Polo in Maiduguri.

“John also had a car to himself and he lived very comfortably. He was known to be friendly,” the statement said.

According to him, the outgoing governor has directed the Commissioner of Police to ensure thorough investigation including a post mortem and inquiries to establish the reason for the suicide.

The investigation into the alleged N4billion fraud against the Emir of Kano Muhammadu Sanusi II, took a different dimension on Tuesday as Kano State Public Complainant and Anti-corruption Commission obtained an order of arrest of three palace officials.

Chief Magistrate Mohammed Idris consequently issued and signed the arrest warrant sequel to a motion by Salisu Tahir, Chief State counsel.

Tahir had said that the request was based on the provision of Section 38 of the enabling Law establishing the Commission.

The court cited the refusal of the traditional rulers to honor the commission’s invitation as reason for granting the order of arrest.

Those to be arrested are Mannir Sanusi, the Chief of Staff to the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II.

Mannir Sanusi holds the traditional title of Damburan Kano.

The two others are Mujitaba Abba and the Accountant of Kano Emirate Council Sani Muhammad-Kwaru.

The Commission had invited four people in connection to the allegation, of which only one person, Isa Bayero, alias Isa Pilot, who was a former Scribe to the Emirate Council, honored the invitation.

Mr Muhiyi Magaji, the Chairman of the commission, said the three persons that have an arrest warrant on their heads are the principal suspects in the case.

He said the commission had already requested security operatives to enforce the order and arrest them.

The Police in Borno on Tuesday confirmed that one Mr John Antagav, a steward with Borno Government House, has committed suicide.

The Commissioner of Police, Mr Mohammed Aliyu, who visited the scene of the crime at the Government House, Maiduguri said the police would thoroughly investigate the matter.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Antagav’s body was found hanging on a tree at a garden of the Presidential Lodge at about 2:30 p.m.

Aliyu disclosed that the cause of the incident was not clear, adding that men of the command dispatched to the scene of crime brought down the corpse and evacuated it to the Specialist Hospital, Maiduguri.

He identified the deceased as a retired staff of the Government House, who was later reengaged as contract personnel.

“From the preliminary report, it is difficult to preempt what exactly happened.

“This is somebody who is doing fine, he has a house and a vehicle which he usually drives himself to work everyday.

“We are going to reach out to his family in order to trace the root of the problem as investigation is still ongoing.”

MacKenzie Bezos, the author who recently completed a divorce from Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, has signed the Giving Pledge to donate at least half her wealth to charity.

In a letter posted to the website for the Giving Pledge, Bezos said she has a "disproportionate amount of money to share."

"My approach to philanthropy will continue to be thoughtful," wrote Bezos. "It will take time and effort and care. But I won’t wait. And I will keep at it until the safe is empty."

Bezos is one of more than 200 philanthropists who have signed the Giving Pledge, an initiative to encourage the world's billionaires to give away their wealth toward charitable causes.

A statement from Giving Pledge cites several causes Bezos has contributed to, including donations to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation. In 2013, Bezos founded an anti-bullying organization called Bystander Revolution.

"I have no doubt that tremendous value comes when people act quickly on the impulse to give," Bezos wrote in her letter. "No drive has more positive ripple effects than the desire to be of service."

Last month, MacKenzie and Jeff Bezos finalized their divorce after 25 years of marriage. A settlement left MacKenzie Bezos with a 25% stake in Amazon worth about $35 billion (C$47 billion).

Singapore — For one Nigerian in Singapore, the Court of Appeal verdict on May 27, Monday, must have brought immeasurable relief. After having been on death row for over two years on drug charges and six years in jail, Adili Chibuike Ejike walked home a free man and is looking forward to going home.

Mr Adili had been detained since 2013 and had been sentenced to hang after he was convicted for having imported nearly 2 kilos of methamphetamine.

On Monday, however, this conviction was thrown out by the Court of Appeals due to questions over whether or not the accused was aware that the suitcase his childhood friends had asked him to give to someone in Singapore contained drugs. To complicate the matter, Mr Adili had previously asked for financial aid from these same friends.

The drugs were hidden in the inner lining of the suitcase.

Mr Adili burst into tears of relief and put his face in his hands when on behalf of the three-judge panel, Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon read out the overturned conviction.

According to their ruling, the judges determined that three things needed to be proven before someone is convicted of drug importation: That the accused was in possession of the drugs, that they knew of the nature of the drugs, and that they had brought the drugs into the country on purpose without prior authorisation.

At Mr Adili’s earlier trial, his lawyer Mohamed Muzammi admitted that while his client knew that the drugs were among his possessions, the lawyer said that Mr Adili was unaware that the drugs were, in fact, methamphetamine, also known as Ice.

However, according to the prosecutor, the accused acted in a manner that was “willfully blind”.

In court, Mr Adili was found to be an unreliable witness, given the differences between his testimony in court and his investigation statements. And, while the accused was also found to be of below-average intelligence, it was ruled by the judge that he did not suffer from cognitive impairment.

Senior Judge Kan Ting Chiu, therefore, convicted Mr Adili of the capital trial.

The issue of “willful blindness” figured in the reversal of the decision of the High Court, since Chief Justice Menon and Judges of Appeal Andrew Phang and Judith Prakash decreed that the accused had not been willfully blind to the fact that there were drugs in the suitcase he brought, since it was only when Immigration and Checkpoints Authority officers cut open the inner lining of the suitcase that the Ice was discovered, something that Mr Adili would not have seen even if he opened the suitcase himself.

The judges said, “Nor could (Adili) have found out about the drugs by asking the persons who had handed him the suitcase in Nigeria, since it was apparent that they were intent on keeping the truth of the matter from him, and would not have told him about the hidden drug bundles even if he had asked.”

After the court was dismissed, TODAY reports Mr Adili as saying how thankful he was for the justice system in Singapore via an interpreter.

He also said he was eager to go home. Mr Adili said, “All I want is to go back home and recover from the past years of my prison sentence, before I think about that,” referring to his future plans back in Nigeria.

The Nigerian was only 28 when he was arrested at Changi Airport in 2011, when he had come from Lagos, Nigeria, to Singapore.

He had borrowed over S$1,000 from one childhood friend, who then asked him to travel to Lagos, where he met yet another childhood friend, who in turn gave him a suitcase and told him to bring it to Singapore and to give the luggage to a certain person when he arrived in the country.

When he arrived at an airport and his suitcase was x-rayed, officers saw a dark image on one side of the suitcase. The officers then searched the luggage but found nothing, it was was only when they cut it open they found two packets of Ice weighing a total of 1,961 gm. Under the Misuse of Drugs Act (MDA), anyone who traffics more than 250 gm of methamphetamine will get the death penalty.

In June 2016, he was found guilty of drug importation by a High Court judge. Mr Adili, who had been unemployed and had only obtained a primary education, received the death penalty in April 2017 when the public prosecutor did not issue him a certificate of substantial cooperation for assisting the anti-narcotics authorities in disrupting drug activities, according to a report from TODAY. -/TISG

*MSN

A man has been fined C$15,000 ($11,000; £8,800) for trying to smuggle thousands of leeches in his carry-on luggage on a flight from Russia to Canada.

Ippolit Bodounov was detained at Toronto's Pearson International Airport last October.

Some 4,788 wild, live leeches were found in a large reusable grocery bag, Canadian environment officials said.

The leeches, intended for medicinal usage, are regulated to control the wildlife trade.

The discovery was made after a dog working with border agents smelled the leeches.

They were then sent off for tests to determine if they were lawful, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) said in a statement.

The leeches were identified as Hirudo verbana, one of only two species of medicinal leech that come under regulations aimed at controlling wildlife trade.

"These species are regulated because over-harvesting of medicinal leeches from the wild is a major threat to the species," the statement said.

All of the leeches tested had come from the wild.

Sebastian Kvist, of the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, told CBC News that, surprisingly, all of the leeches survived.

Mr Bodounov - thought to be the first person in Canada to be caught importing the species - was charged with the unlawful import of a regulated species.

The parasites, which drink the blood of animals and humans, were one of the first species subject to conservation measures, including exportation restrictions, dating back to 1823.

Medicinal leech saliva contains blood-thinning properties and was vital in the first positive results of human dialysis treatments.

No fewer than 4,000 non-existing pensioners have been uncovered out of the 20,000 police pensioners inherited by the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD).

Executive Secretary of PTAD, Sharon Ikeazor, disclosed this yesterday in Benin City, at the directorate’s ongoing pensioners’ verification and biometric data capturing for officers who retired from the Federal Government agencies and parastatals in Edo and Delta states. She assured that good time awaits pensioners once the verification is finalised as they would no longer be made to pass through the rigours of physical presence for verification, adding that the directorate was planning to decentralise its operations across the states instead of pensioners going to Abuja for verification of their status.

“When we took on police pension, we had over 20,000 pensioners on our pay roll. By the time we concluded the verification, we got 16,000 pensioners and that is a lot of savings for government and the genuine pensioners are now being paid.

“The same goes for civil service pensions; by the time we concluded the verification, we had a lot of savings for government because those who were irregularly put on that pay roll by the last maladministration have been taken off and the genuine pensioners who were dropped, were replaced so it is the same exercise we are doing now.

“PTAD has four pension departments it inherited when it was set up – the police pension, the civil service pension, the Customs, Immigration and Prisons Service and the parastatals pensions. What we are doing now is the parastatals verification, which comprises over 260 government agencies.

“This verification will be the last verification that will be conducted by PTAD because what we are doing is to have a credible secured database. We will not bring our pensioners out again for verification once we conclude this. We have concluded police pension verification. Everyone here is on PTAD payroll so they will be verified and their pensions will continue and all those who have issues will be addressed. We do it state by state.

“We are out in the field for two weeks and after the field verification, we have state offices, we have an office here in Benin where they can go back and get their verification done. Lagos office is set up also and we are trying to decentralise so that our pensioners don’t suffer and come all the way to Abuja for verification. In the comfort of their states, they will be verified,” the Executive Secretary said.

Commenting on the verification, Mr. Albert Umoru, a pensioner from the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Benin, said the exercise was not as good as expected and that bringing everybody together to a particular venue was boring.

*MSN

Harmonization of Entrepreneurship Education Delivery in Africa (HEED-Africa) project is made up of a consortium of partner universities from Africa and Europe. The consortium comprises of Addis Ababa University, Coordinating Institution (Ethiopia), the University of Ghana (Ghana), Milpark Education (South Africa), Makerere University (Uganda), Kyambogo University (Uganda) and the University of Wolverhampton (United Kingdom).

Applications are available for applicants who are looking at undergoing a degree program.The scholarship will cover:

*Round-trip flight ticket and visa costs.

*Participation costs such as tuition fees, registration fees and service fees where applicable.

*Insurance coverage (including health, accident, travel, respectively).

*A settling-in allowance.

*A monthly subsistence allowance.

*A contribution towards the research costs associated with student mobility of 10 months or longer.

*Female master and doctoral scholarship holders will receive an additional allowance corresponding to one months subsistenceper academic year, for mobility equal to or longer than two academic years

Eligible Countries:African countries

To be taken at (country):Makerere University

Type:Masters

Eligibility:

• Applicants must a national and resident in any of the eligible countries covered by the Programme
• Applicants mustBe registered or admitted in or having obtained a HEI degree
• Applicants must Have sufficient knowledge of the language of the courses in the host countries.

Application Process:It is important to go through all application requirements on the Programme Webpage (see link below) before applying

Visit The Official Website For More Information

Scholarship Application Deadline:15th June 2019

Source: Scholarships And Aid

BW Offshore Nigeria is delighted to announce its undergraduate Scholarship Scheme for Nigerian applicants intending to study Engineering courses at selected Nigerian Universities. The objective of the scheme is to provide financial support to twenty (20) Nigerians intending to study engineering courses that are relevant to the FPSO / Oil and Gas industry.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must:

• Have gained full time admission into the above Nigerian tertiary Institution.
• Have completed their fist year and are on track to proceed to 200 Level
• Have a minimum of 4.0/5.0 CGPA
• Have a minimum of 5 credits including Mathematics and English in WAEC/NECO/GCE one sitting
• Display sound intellectual ability and leadership potential
• Not be a beneficiary of any other scholarship or grant

Eligible Courses:

• Chemical Engineering
• Electrical/ Electronics / Instrumentation Engineering
• Civil / Structural Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Petroleum Engineering

Eligible Universities:

• University of Ibadan
• University of Nigeria
• University of Lagos
• Ahmadu Bello University
• Obafemi Awolowo University

Method of Application

Interested and qualified candidates will be nominated by the respective Universities and departments based on their academic qualifications (CGPA).

All nominated candidates will be contacted directly by BW Offshore, using only official BW Offshore email address ([email protected]) and requested to submit the following documentation via email:

• Admission Letter
• School identity card or valid means of school identification
• Passport Photograph (clear background not older than three months).
• Transcript or Result statement duly signed and stamped by the University stating previous session CGPA results clearly in English
• Court Affidavit in a case of any mismatch of name in any presented documentation.
• Academic Reference from candidates Head of Department
• Short Essay of no more than one page detailing why you need and should receive the Scholarship (not more than one typed page. Font Arial; Font size:11).

Note

• Following the review of selected candidates documentation and essay, shortlisted candidates w be invited for an aptitude test within 6-8 weeks from the application Closing date. The final stage of the process will be an interview with a panel of interviewers selected by BW Offshore
• The scholarship will cover tuition fees and a contribution towards living expenses.

Source: Scholarships And Aid

Applications are invited form suitably qualified candidates for theQueen Elizabeth Commonwealth Scholarships in South Pacific2020.

The University of the South Pacific (USP) is hosting 1 general award eligible inFiji, Samoa or Vanuatu all Masters courses are available/eligible for this award.

Eligibility Criteria

• To apply you must be a citizen of (or hold refugee status in) a Commonwealth country other than the country hosting the award (e.g. you cannot apply for a scholarship in Fiji if you are a Fijian citizen).
• Students may not apply from any Pacific countries already covered by USP.
• You must have completed an undergraduate degree at a 2:1 equivalent level (or to the required level of the specific postgraduate course).

Applications are open untilWednesday 26 Juneand must be completed online. Please follow the below steps to complete your application.

1) Make sure that you have the following documentation to upload to your application:

• High school certificate
• Undergraduate transcript (and graduation certificate)
• Two references preferably academic
• Scan of passport or national ID card
• Proof of English language ability if English is not your first language

2) Complete a QECS application online

3) Submit a separate application for admission to your chosen course.

If you have any specific questions about applying for university courses at USP, please contactUSP directly by email [email protected]

OFFICIAL LINK

Scholarship Application Deadline:June 26, 2019.

Source: Scholarships And Aid