The Nadi Declaration was adopted at the final session of the 20th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (20CCEM), held in Nadi, Fiji.

The Declaration, which was adopted on Feb. 23, outlined the priorities and agenda for education across the Commonwealth for the next three years (2018 2021).

Building on the outcomes of the 19CCEM, ministers reaffirmed that education is a fundamental human right and is indispensable for achieving sustainable development.

They expressed a commitment to ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and to promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all.

Ministers recognised the valuable service provided by the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) over the last 30 years.

They appreciated COLs focus on promoting learning for sustainable development through the use of technologies and for its emphasis on lifelong learning for employment, entrepreneurship and empowerment, all of which support the ongoing efforts of Member States to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 4.

COL was commended for the growing impact of the Virtual University for Small States of the Commonwealth (VUSSC) in strengthening tertiary education in small states and for its global leadership in open educational resources (OER) and innovation in educational technologies.

Prof. Asha kanwar, COL President and Chief Executive Officer, said COL will work in partnership with sister organisations and stakeholders in the field to ensure that development outcomes are not just achieved but exceeded.

Source: NAN

Heavy snow and freezing conditions are causing delays in many parts of Britain, with roads and train service hit particularly hard.

Many rail systems were disrupted, in the northern and eastern parts of Britain, and several lines of Londons subway system were experiencing severe delays, including the Piccadilly Line that links central London to Heathrow Airport.

Train service to Gatwick Airport was also slowed by wintry weather.

Emergency officials said many drivers had to be rescued from stranded vehicles. Hundreds of schools were shut for a second day in a row.

The weather also forced a number of hospitals to cancel elective procedures and outpatient care.

In Denmark, police say a 54-year-old man who suffered from dementia was found dead in the snow on the Baltic Sea island of Bornholm.

Source:https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/heavy-winter-weather-batters-uk-european-mainland/2018/02/28/3aec8128-1c7e-11e8-98f

Source: NAN

The President of the Senate Dr. Bukola Saraki has called on states of the federation to emulate Kwara state and stop payment of pensions to former governors still holding elective or appointive positions.

This is even as he commended the Kwara state House of Assembly for passing the bill to stop payment of such pensions.

Saraki in a series of tweets on his handle, @BukolaSaraki said that he was indeed happy that the the chat he had with the Assembly Speaker, Ali Ahmed,had resulted in the passage of the bill.

In 2017, the Senates President had said that he already directed the state government to stop paying him pensions adding that he had refunded those that he had collected earlier.

I am happy that following my conversation with Kwara Speaker, , two months ago, the Bill to suspend the payment of Pension to former Governors and their Deputies when they hold a Political or Public office was passed into law yesterday by the Kwara House of Assembly.

Bukola Saraki (@bukolasaraki)

I am happy that following my conversation with Kwara Speaker, @HonAliAhmad, two months ago, the Bill to suspend the payment of Pension to former Governors and their Deputies when they hold a Political or Public office was passed into law yesterday by the Kwara House of Assembly.

Moving forward, it is my hope that other State Assemblies take a cue from Kwara State and pass similar pieces of legislation into law.

The Kwara State House of Assembly on Tuesday passed an amendment bill halting payment of pension to former governors, deputy governors and other officers holding political offices after their tenure in office.

The passage of the bill followed the consideration of the report of the House Committee on Establishment and Public Service at the Committee of the Whole House sitting in Ilorin. The motion for the passage of the bill was moved by the Deputy House Leader, Segilola Abdulkadir and was unanimously adopted by members.

The Deputy Speaker, Matthew Okedare, who presided over the plenary, directed the Clerk of the House, Alhaji Mohammed Katsina, to prepare clean copy of the bill for governors assent.

The bill, which was forwarded to the House by Gov. AbdulFatah Ahmed, sought to review the existing law where payment of pension for former governors and deputy governors after their tenures would be suspended.

Source: NAN

Alhaji Zayyani Bello-Gandi, the Special Adviser to Gov. Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State on Primary Health Development (PHCD) is dead.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Bello-Gandi, 52, died on Tuesday after a protracted illness, and was buried according Islamic rites on Wednesday in Sokoto.

The deceased was the former Chairman of Rabah Local Government Area of the state and he left behind three wives and 20 children.

The Deputy Governor of state, Alhaji Ahmad Aliyu, commissioners, special advisers and other government officials as well as politicians attended the burial ceremony.
They prayed God to console the family of the deceased. (NAN)

Source: NAN

Neymar still has a “small chance” of playing against Real Madrid in the Champions League and there are no plans for an operation on his cracked bone, Paris Saint-Germain coach Unai Emery said on Tuesday.

“For Neymar there has been no decision to have an operation,” said Emery, denying an earlier report in the Brazilian press that the world’s most expensive player would go under the knife to fix the cracked bone in his foot.

“Neymar is the first to want to play every match, he’s very focussed on Real. I think there’s a small chance that he’ll be ready for the match,” added Emery.

PSG trail 3-1 from the last 16 first leg in Madrid two weeks ago and the loss of Neymar would be a huge blow to their chances of overturning that deficit at the Parc des Princes on March 6 and reaching the Champions League quarter-finals.

Neymar suffered a cracked metatarsal in his foot and a twisted ankle in an innocuous looking incident against Marseille on Sunday night.

And while Spaniard Emery said there is a possibility he’ll recover by next week, he was more pessimistic than he had been on Sunday night.

“Today, after analysing Neymar, it looks less likely than it did on Sunday that he’ll be ready for this match,” said Emery.

However, he was clear in his dismissal of a report published by Brazilian media outlet Globo Esporte on Tuesday morning that claimed a decision had already been reached for Neymar to undergo an operation, and that he would be out until May.

“Last night (Monday) the club issued an official statement: it said how the player was medically,” added Emery.

“Things (like operations) aren’t decided like that,” he added, clicking his fingers.

“You need discussions with the doctor, the player, his entourage.

“To make such an important decision you need tranquility and a bit of patience.

“Right now, I don’t think you need anything else. There’s a lot of information from outside, but the truth is what I told you, which is what the doctor told me.”

While PSG’s primary concern is having the world’s most expensive player available for their Champions League match next week, in Brazil it is Neymar’s participation at the World Cup that is most important.

The 26-year-old captained Brazil to their first ever Olympic gold medal 18 months ago on home soil and is seen as crucial to their hopes in Russia in June and July.

Were he to undergo and operation now and return to fitness in May, that would suit Brazil, who could rely then on a fully fit and fresh Neymar for the World Cup.

Source: NAN

Ex-Biafran soldier, Col. Joseph ‘’ Hannibal ‘’ Achuzia died on Monday at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Asaba, Delta. He was aged 90.

The late Achuzia was a Major in the Nigerian Army, before he defected to the Biafran side in 1967 at the outbreak of the Nigerian Civil War.

Mr Onyeka Achuzia, son of the deceased, said Colonel Achuzia died at about 8 a.m on Monday.

He said that the remains of the deceased had been deposited at the hospital morgue ahead of the traditional burial rights on a date yet to be announced.

”My father died around 8 a.m at age 90 in the Federal Medical Centre, Asaba.

“He was a traditional Chief of Asaba,” the Ikemba of Asaba”, so we have announced it to the Asagba in Council; it is a sad news to us.

“I could still not believe that he is dead, even when he was entering the FMC where he died, he was smiling; we never knew he was going to die because he was still strong in spite of his age.

“He had a little bit of illness, coupled with his age, we are really going to miss him for he was such a good father,” Onyeka said.

Onyeka said that as the Ikemba of Asaba the news of his father’s death had been announced with a traditional gun shot.

Achizie is survived by a wife, children, grand children and other relations.

After he was released from prison in 1970 after the civil war, he officially retired from military activities and became a prominent figure in Nigerian politics.

Source: NAN

Aisha Wakil, the Maiduguri based lawyer and rights activist, with links with Boko Haram said she will do everything possible to get the 110 abducted Dapchi schoolgirls freed.

Aisha, also called Mama Boko Haram, believed the girls were captured by the Barnawi group of the terror sect, appealed to the group to free the girls. She said she was ready to get them out even at the risk of her life.

Wallahi I will go after them, even if it will take my life to save these girls. They call me Mummy, but they dont listen to me. I keep on talking to them, begging them to lay down their arms and embrace peace but they will say Insha-Allah mummy we are going to stop. Sometimes they will say they are scared they are going to be killed but I will tell them nobody is going to kill you, she said in an interview published on PRNigeria website today.

She appealed to the abductors to release the young female captives, said to be aged between 12 and 19 years. Acccording to a list published by the Federal Government on Tuesday, 37 of the girls are in JSS1-3, while 73 are in SSS1-3.

Aisha Wakil, was a former member of the Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of Security Challenges in the northern region of Nigeria under the administration of former president Goodluck Jonathan.

She had, in previous efforts, brought military officers and Boko Haram Commanders together during negotiations.

She was also credited for the release of some abductees, including Chibok schoolgirls,from the Boko Haram sect via phone calls to the leadership.

PRNigeria quoted her as saying she was ready to sacrifice her life to rescue the girls from their abductors.

The activist was reported to have helped in circumcision of some of the Boko Haram members when they were kids over two decades ago.

Her relationship with the sect members earned her the name Mama Boko Haram.

Disturbed about the latest abduction of 110 students of Government Girls Technical College Dapchi, Aisha has renewed her commitment to fight to end the Boko Haram insurgency.

The activist who cried during the interview said : This thing that is happening, is really breaking my heart. These children dont even know what they are doing. Some of them were not even born at the time this thing started.

She appealed to the leader of the Barnawi group to release the girls:

I heard you are now been called Abu Mussad Albarnawi but I know you as Habib and I am begging you to stop the killing and abduction. I have sent many messages to you. I dont know if you are getting these messages or you just choose to continue to hurt your mother and make her cry.

Dear Habib, Nuru and others, I was told you may be the ones responsible for the kidnapped of these girls. Whereever you may be if you are listening to me, I beg you in the name of Allah to release the girls back to their families.

What type of children will continue letting their mother to continue crying. Dear Habib, I pray Allah touches your heart and that of your colleagues to stop what you are doing. Please come out. I will never deny you even if the whole world did. Those who know you know your heart. They know you are no longer interested in the fight anymore.

I will hold all of you and wrap you with my wrapper and bring you out and no one is going to shoot you. If they will shoot you, they will have to shoot me first. I dont mind sacrificing my life if you will stop what you are doing. If I die stopping Boko Haram, I know I will go to paradise.

Aisha Wakil has been actively involved in efforts to end Boko Haram through her NGO Complete Care and Aid Foundation aimed at restoring peace to the northeast by rehabilitating the youth against warped ideologies that mislead them to join the terror group.

The organisation is designed to provide a free feeding centre, fight drug abuse, sex hawking, human trafficking, female genital mutilation and de-worming among persons displaced by the insurgency.

Source: NAN

Christian leaders in Jerusalem said that they would on Wednesday reopen the ancient Church of the Holy Sepulchre, closed since the weekend in protest at Israeli tax measures.

The announcement came hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office said a professional team would be appointed to resolve the financial dispute.

The closure which seemed to be the longest since at least 1990 has left thousands of pilgrims and tourists seeking to visit the site locked outside.

Some have kneeled in front of its massive wooden doors to pray on the cobblestones of Jerusalems Old City.

We hereby announce that the Church of the Holy Sepulchre will be reopened to the pilgrims tomorrow, February 28th, 2018 at 4:00 AM (0200 GMT), said a joint statement by church leaders issued on Tuesday night.

The church is built where Christians believe Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected. Custody of it is shared by the Greek Orthodox, Armenian and Roman Catholic denominations.

Tuesdays statement was signed by senior clerics of the three faiths in the Holy Land.

We give thanks to God for the statement released earlier today by Prime Minister Netanyahu and offer our gratitude to all those who have worked tirelessly to uphold the Christian presence in Jerusalem, it said.

Christian leaders are in part angry over attempts by Israeli authorities in Jerusalem to enforce tax collection on church-owned property they consider commercial, saying exemptions only apply to places of worship or religious teaching.

Netanyahus office said the measures would be suspended pending discussions.

Israeli Regional Cooperation Minister Tzachi Hanegbi will also look into the issue of land sales in Jerusalem by Christian bodies.

During that time, a proposed law that Christian leaders say would allow Israel to expropriate church land is to be shelved, the statement said.

An official of the Roman Catholic Custody of the Holy Land welcomed the prospect of talks with the Israeli authorities.

From the beginning we said that we have duties to have a dialogue, and not let ourselves be forced to make drastic decisions, he told AFP.

Dark period

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat says the city is due 650 million shekels ($186 million/152 million euros) in uncollected taxes on church properties.

He stresses the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and all other churches are exempt, with the changes only affecting establishments like hotels, halls and businesses owned by churches.

Christian leaders say the measure jeopardises their ability to conduct their work, which also includes social services to those in need.

Source: NAN

Ten herdsmenm who were destroying farmland in Tse-Tigir and Tse-Ndugh villages in Benue, have been arrested by troops.

The troops were deployed to Yelwata under the ongoing Exercise Ayem Akpatuma (Cat Race).

Brig.-Gen. Texas Chukwu, the Director, Army Public Relations, in a statement issued late Monday night in Abuja, said the suspects fled into the bush when they sighted the troops.

“While in the act of destroying the farmland, the herdsmen sighted the aggressive troops and fled into the bush.

“The determined troops pursued and arrest them.

“Items recovered from them are five motorcycles, two machetes, assorted charms and N120,000,” he said.

Chukwu said the suspects and the items were handed over to the Police for investigation.

The spokesman said the Army was determined to fish out criminals and recover weapons they use in killing innocent citizens.

He appealed to the people to cooperate with the troops.

Source: NAN

Arsenal’s legend and all-time top scorer Thierry Henry said it would be a “dream” to manage the club, whose season is threatening to unravel after their capitulation to Manchester City in the League Cup final.

Arsene Wenger’s side crumbled 3-0 at Wembley on Sunday and languish 10 points off the top four in the Premier League, with the Europa League their only chance of silverware this season.

Wenger is under contract at Arsenal until 2019 but a failure to qualify for the Champions League for a second straight year would ramp up pressure for him to step down.

Asked on-air after the game about whether replacing Wenger would appeal to him, the Sky Sports pundit, who is also a member of Belgium’s coaching staff, said: “I still have a job to do with Belgium, but let’s see what’s going to happen.

“It will be a dream for me, but I’m still with Belgium.

“Interested? Yes, who wouldn’t be? But I can’t talk about that out of respect for the man that is in charge still and my job that I’m doing right now with Belgium. But who wouldn’t be interested?”

Henry, who was brought to Arsenal by Wenger in 1999, believes a lack of consistency is the key to the club’s troubles, with the Gunners having lost six games in all competitions since the turn of the year.

“With Arsene, what is difficult is when you have bad momentum,” the 40-year-old told Sky Sports News on Monday.

“The consistency is not always there and you need to be consistent. You need to also sometimes have some good games away from home.

“The feeling with the fans is that you cannot brag about the win because next week we might be in trouble.

“What’s difficult when you start to lose is getting that energy and commitment back. When you don’t win the league for a long time — 14 years running — that doesn’t help.”

Source: NAN