Indiana university honours Obasanjo

Valparaiso University in Indiana, United States has established an African Institute in honour of Nigeria’s former leader, Olusegun Obasanjo. The institute, which was inaugurated Saturday would would serve as a cultural exchange centre between it and Nigeria in particular and Africa at large. It will also serve as an exchange and resource centre for professional studies of Nigerian/African commerce and culture among students, artists, writers, educators and politicians. At the ceremony, Obasanjo identified corruption, insecurity, and infrastructure decay as major problems confronting the Africa. Obasanjo said that almost every country in Africa had one form of security problem or the other, pointing out that insecurity would not allow development to thrive. On the security challenges facing Nigeria, Obasanjo said that government must properly identify the remote causes of the activities of the Boko Haram sect. Obasanjo stressed the need for more attention to be placed on the improvement of infrastructure within the continent. He said the issue of human development should not be such that the individuals were allowed to leave the continent and be servicing other land. The former president, however, called on Nigerians living abroad to return home where their knowledge would best be utilised. “We must develop people and retain them, we must encourage most of them that are in Diaspora, to move back home,’’ Obasanjo said. The former Nigerian leader said that corruption was very serious that should not be underestimated, adding that it was virtually in every aspect of life. “If you pretend that there is no corruption, the world already knows there is corruption,’’ he said. Earlier, the President of the 154 year old university, Dr. Mark Heckler, said the exemplary leadership of Obasanjo in Africa and in Nigeria was a driving force for the choice of honouring him. Heckler said that the university was established in 1859, stressing that the establishment of the Africa Institute was a dream fulfilled. Prof. Ade Adefuye, the Nigeria Ambassador to the U.S, also commended the University “for giving honour to whom honour is due’’. Adefuye described Obasanjo as someone who had contributed greatly to the development of Nigeria. Present at the event were Dr. Ewa Ewa, Chief Financing Officer, Ilinois Human Rights Commission, Chief Bayo Ojo, former Attorney General of the Federation and Mr Frank Nweke, Director-General, Nigerian Economic Summit Group. Others were Prof. Julius Okojie, Executive Secretary, National University Commission and Nigeria Consul-General in New York, Habib Habu. source pmnewsnigeria.com

NUC Awards Six Universities

National Universities Commission (NUC) has awarded six Nigerian universities drawn from each geopolitical zone of the country for their high performance in the administration of their counseling centres. Director Student Support Services of NUC, Hajiya Uwani Yahya, said on Tuesday that after an assessment of guidance and counseling units in all universities, the commission decided to reward the best to encourage others to improve. The universities that were presented two computers each by the Minister of Education, Professor Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufa'i, are University of Lagos which beat the University of Ibadan for Southwest; Bayero University Kano which beat Ahmadu Bello University for Northwest; University of Ilorin for North Central; Nnamdi Azikiwe University for Southeast; University of Maiduguri for Northeast; and University of Benin for South-south. Hajiya Uwani said all the universities recognized were federal universities because they are more established and that most of the other universities were operating their guidance and counseling centres within the Faculty of Education which is an unacceptable practice. Source www.allafrica.com

Nigerian student kills self in India

Lagos - A 28-year-old Nigerian student allegedly committed suicide after jumping off the second floor of his rented accommodation in India, Linda Ikeji reports. Police authorities in India suggests that the late student, Kelvin Lakoju, was suffering from depression. Kelvin had been living in India since 2009 and was pursuing a photography course from an institute in Film City. source http://nigeria.news24.com