FG declares French language compulsory in Nigerian schools

The Federal Government has declared the French language compulsory for students across all levels of education in the country, following its decision to make French the second official language of Nigeria.

To this end, government is embarking on intensive training of French teachers at all levels.

The Minister of State for Education, Prof Anthony Anwukah, announced the policy decision in Abuja on Saturday during a courtesy visit by the French Ambassador to Nigeria, Denys Gaver.

His words:
“French language is a matter of necessity. We have to because we have Cameroon, Niger, Chad, Benin Republic, Togo Guinea, and Ivory Coast surrounding us and so there is need for us to get more Nigerians to become proficient in French language.

“This is good for the continent; it is good for us as a nation. It is good for our brothers at the borders because it will enable us to communicate with them effectively."

Anwukah also appealed to the ambassador to assist Nigeria with more French teachers.

“We plead that you consider it a lot more expedient in helping us train our teachers in French both for the primary school level, secondary level and tertiary level.

“So far, we have demonstrated the enthusiasm to foster the teaching and learning of French in Nigerian schools which are the tertiary, basic and secondary levels and our main concern now is the training of sufficient number of French teachers within our school system,” he said.

The minister on the same day, flagged off the French Clinic Project at Federal Government Boys College Apo, Abuja.

He explained that the project was one of many expected to come up across the country.

“The ministry is geared towards establishing French clinics in 104 government colleges, and unity schools.

“We are keen and motivated by the need to actualise our dream of making French language our second language of business in Nigeria.

“The clinic is expected to improve the listening, speaking, reading and writing skills of students.

“It is expected that with these skills, our students will fare better in their examinations and in the world of worth."

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Dalori attack: How Boko Haram burnt children alive

A survivor of Saturday's Boko Haram attack on Dalori village, near Maiduguri, Borno State has described how the insurgents burnt children alive.

The eyewitness who said he survived the attack by hiding on a tree recounted the heart-rending cries of children burning to their death.

He told the Associated Press that the children could not be rescued because it was only on Sunday morning that soldiers arrived the village.

Other witnesses told stories of roads littered with charred human remains with visible bullet wounds.

Dalori village is one of the most affected communities in the last six years of Boko Haram insurgency.

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Dasukigate: My sons are innocent, Obanikoro cries out.

Former Minister of State for Defense, Musiliu Obanikoro is crying blue murder over the mention of his two sons by the EFCC and Sahara Reporters as signatories to the infamous Sylvan McNamara account which was allegedly used to siphon N4.7b from the Office of the National Security Adviser.

Obanikoro has challenged the anti graft agency and the online publication to publish the details of the alleged transaction and the signatories to the said account at the time of the transaction rather than malign his family with vague and distorted news.

In a statement issued by his media aide, Jonathan Eze on Saturday, Obanikoro
questioned the “wisdom and logic of bandying figures and associating same with his sons who are thorough bred professionals in their own rights.”

He reminded the EFCC and Sahara Reporters that the “court of law remains the judicial institution for trying cases and not whipping sentiments in order to give the dog a bad name and hang it.”

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Dangote Group To Build Power Plants In Abuja, Kano.

As part of the its $5 billion joint venture agreement with Black Rhino Group, a subsidiary of the Black Stone Group to develop  power infrastructure in Africa, Dangote Group plans to establish power plants in Abuja and Kano.

Chairman of the group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote disclosed the plan on Friday at the 38th Convocation lecture of the Ahmadu Bello Univer­sity, ABU, Zaria.

He said that the plan is intended to boost power generation in the country.

“We are also furthering a new ground by investing in two 554 Km, 3 billion square cubic meter feet of gas offshore pipeline project, the first indigenous owned undersea gas pipeline that will supply gas to industries and power plants and it would be run from Bonny through gas fields,’’ he said.

Dangote also revealed plans by his company to cultivate 260,000 hectares of sugarcane plantation as well as invest $1 billion in the cultivation of rice.

He said that Nigeria's socio- economic problems could best be tackled by strengthening small and medium entrepreneurship and eliminating the problems of power supply, lack of access to finance and a good regulatory environ­ment.

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Lassa Fever Kills Two In Nasarawa

Following the outbreak of lassa fever in Nasarawa State, two people have been confirmed dead at the Dalhatu Specialist Hospital, DASH, in Lafia, the state capital while one person is under observation at the same institution.

The state commissioner for health, Dr Daniel Iya made the disclosure in Lafia at a public hearing organised by the Nasarawa State House of Assembly committee on health.

Dr Iya told the committee that the state had no isolation unit for the treatment of lassa fever, even though Governor Tanko Almakura had promised to provide one.

He said that the state government has released 5.9 million naira for the control of lassa virus across the state.

“We have already bought 2000 injections of Ribavirin, 1000 tablets of Ribavirin and we are tracking about 130 persons in the state,” he said.

He also said that his ministry has concluded plans to sensitize the people of the state at the grassroots beginning from February.

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Armsgate: Why serving military officers under probe are still in office.

It has been revealed that some of the serving military officers being investigated for their roles in the arms procurement scandal have been allowed to continue to perform their official duties for strategic reasons.

Abujacitynews learnt that the affected officers have been kept in charge of their respective formations in the interest of their rights to fair hearing and innocence until proven guilty.

A military source also said that the decision is a strategic plan to keep the said officers from leaving the country.

“They are no doubt distracted by the allegations against them but it is tactical to leave them in their positions until it is ripe to invite, arrest or detain them.

“As long as they remain in service, it will help the assignment of the Special Investigative Committee.

“We want them to be in the system and answer all the allegations against them. It is like putting them in a tight corner,” he said.

Some of the affected officers are ;
AVM A. M. Mamu (the Chief of Administration); AVM O.T. Oguntoyinbo (former Director of Production, Defence Headquarters);  AVM R.A. Ojuawo (Air Officer Tactical Air Command, Makurdi;  AVM J.B. Adigun (former Chief of Accounts and Budgeting in NAF); and AVM J A Kayode-Beckley (Director, Armament Research in Air Force Research and Development Centre); AVM T Omenyi (MD, NAF Holdings);four top officers at the Defence Headquarters, DHQ, Air Cdre A O Ogunjobi; Air Cdre G M D Gwani; Air Cdre S O Makinde; Air Cdre AY Lassa and Col. N. Ashinze.

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Damaturu-Biu Road Now Safe For Civilian Use (Photo)

An army checkpoint at the now liberated 130 kilometers Damaturu-Biu Road, Northeast Nigeria.

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