A total of six students scored 01 in the 202: National Common Entrance Examinations conducted by the National Examinations Council, The PUNCH reports. The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Education, Andrew Adejo, made this known while giving a breakdown of scores in Abuja on Wednesday. Adejo said, “A total of (72,865) pupils registered compared to 71,738 for 2022 with Lagos State having the highest number of 18,644 and Taraba with the lowest of 102. With 38,801 female registrants against 34,064 males, we are making progress with bridging the gender parity; Sixty nine thousand, eight hundred and twenty nine (69,829) pupils sat for the examination; “3,036 pupils were absent; 76 pupils had the highest score of 203; The lowest score was 01 mark and this was scored by six pupils.” “I would like to thank everybody that have contributed to making this day possible, starting from the examination council the examination monitors, markers, pressmen who were with us. The conduct of the exam was hitch-free and it indicates that NECO is improving in the delivery of its examinations “ As you are all aware, our Federal Unity Colleges have become the first port of call for most parents in the country. Although we are currently facing challenges of infrastructural development, feeding, and teacher quality, I want to assure you that the Federal government is doing its best to ensure better conditions for effective teaching and learning in our schools.”

  Some road fittings installed on the newly inaugurated Second Niger bridge have been stolen by vandals, The PUNCH can exclusively report. A source in the works ministry confirmed the theft on Wednesday, saying that the expansion joint walkway on axis 330 of the bridge had been stolen. The source said, “Unfortunately, It’s true. The stolen fitting is an element from the expansion joints of the bridge. Drivers on that road have to be careful as the damaged part can cause discomfort to motorists.” Another source who spoke to our correspondent corroborated the report adding that supervising engineers are not happy about the incident. Recall that on May 23, the former president, Muhammadu Buhari, commissioned the N336 billion bridge, via an online platform, Zoom alongside seven other infrastructural projects. The former Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, announced the completion of the bridge at a briefing in October 2022 after almost five decades of failed promises by successive administrations. On December 15, 2022, the Federal Government also opened the Second Niger Bridge for use to ease traffic in the South-East during the festive season. The Second Niger Bridge was first proposed during the 1978/79 political campaign by then-candidate Shehu Shagari of the National Party of Nigeria. Patterned after the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos, the 1.6 kilometres long bridge linking Anambra and Delta states is to decongest traffic on the existing Niger Bridge, boost economic activities, and connect the South-East with the rest of the country. Efforts to reach the ministry spokesperson, Blessing Adams-Lere, for official confirmation, proved abortive, as phone calls were not responded to as of press time. Details shortly…

  The Ogun state government has suffered a hack attack. The hack was noticed by TheCable on Wednesday morning. The hackers who identified themselves as Aliester Crowley under “Anon Ghost” claimed to be operating from the Maldives. “We are Anon Ghost,” reads a bold inscription on the website under what appears to be the logo of the hackers. “We are legend, we do not forgive, we do not forget, expect us. “Hacked by Aliester Crowley. Update your security! Greetings from the Maldives. “Find me on YouTube,” the hackers added. The cyber-attackers also defaced all the pages of the website. This is not the first time the Ogun state government has suffered a hack attack. In 2015, cyber-terrorists took over the website, and like the latest attack, asked the state government to update its security. Other Nigerian government websites that have also fallen prey to hackers include the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and that of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). TheCable could not immediately reach Sunday Somorin, chief press secretary to Dapo Abiodun, governor of Ogun, to confirm if the state government was aware of the development.

  Security Operatives of the Joint Task Force, Operation Delta Safe, in collaboration with Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, have set ablaze an intercepted vessel carrying barrels of stolen crude oil in the Escravos area of Delta State. The vessel was set ablaze by a military helicopter. The vessel allegedly owned by a Nigerian registered company, was heading to Cameroon with the cargo onboard when it was apprehended at an offshore location with the captain and crew members onboard. According to the Executive Director of Operations and Technical at Tantita Security, Captain Warred Enisuoh and the Commander of the Joint Task Force, Operation Delta Safe, Rear Admiral Olusegun Ferreira, the oil cargo was illegally sourced from a well-jacketed offshore in Ondo State with no valid documentation at the time of the arrest. The said vessel had operated in stealth mode for the last 12 years. The discovery was the latest in the series of disturbing findings by the Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, a security outfit owned by former militant leader Government Ekpemepulo aka Tompolo and contracted by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited.   Unending Controversy In October 2022, security agents also destroyed a vessel used for crude oil theft off the Niger Delta creeks after the vessel was reportedly arrested by Tompolo’s firm. The destruction of the vessel generated controversy as some Nigerians fumed at the action of security agents, saying the vessel should have been preserved as an exhibit to prosecute the owners of the vessel. The House of Representatives subsequently said it would investigate the circumstances surrounding the destruction of the oil bunkering vessel by security agents. However, the Federal Government defended the swift destruction of the vessel, saying it was in line with the rules of engagement. The then Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, said the vessel was caught in the act and security agents subsequently set the “instrument of operation” ablaze, noting that no investigation is needed to carry out the action. A Malignant Cancer? Oil theft has become a malignant cancer in Nigeria for years with unimaginable volumes of oil being lifted by some cabals in the oil sector. Last year, the NNPC said it uncovered an illegal oil connection from Forcados Terminal that operated for nine years with about 600,000 barrels per day of oil lost in the same period. Similarly, Tompolo said about 58 illegal oil points have been discovered so far since the operation to end oil theft on the waterways of Delta and Bayelsa states began. Former Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State had said the Federal Government has failed in the oil and gas business and should get out of the sector. El-Rufai had also called for the privatisation of the NNPC and said the company has been declaring profit without dividends. The ex-governor said that whatever the government manages turns out bad and noted that the sectors doing well in the country like entertainment, telecoms, fintech and others have no government involvement.

  Many Nigerian students are facing tough times in the United Kingdom after the naira equivalent of their tuition fees increased by over 60 per cent following the recent move by the Central Bank of Nigeria to unify the nation’s foreign exchange rates. About two weeks after President Bola Tinubu promised to unify the nation’s multiple exchange rates, the apex bank decided to float the naira at the Investors and Exporters’ Window of the foreign exchange market. Since then, the naira has fallen from N471/dollar to N750/dollar and N589.4/pound to N957.2/pound. This has led to about 60 per cent increase in tuition fees for students in the UK. This rise in exchange rate has put more pressure on many Nigerians that are schooling in the UK and beyond. The UK is one of the destinations of choice for many Nigerians as 128,770 Nigerian students enrolled in universities in the United Kingdom between 2015 and 2022 according to data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency of the UK. According to the CBN, study-related foreign exchange outflow to the UK rose to $2.5bn in 2022. Nigerian students and their dependants in the United Kingdom contribute about £1.9bn annually to the UK economy, according to an analysis by SBM Intelligence. Many of these students may now struggle to pay the balance of their tuition due to the sharp decline in the value of the naira. UK universities are currently on break. Students lament hike A Nigerian student resident in Manchester, Adejoro Deborah, who sounded stressed told The PUNCH, “This policy is affecting those of us here and even intending students. My sibling has had to forfeit her admission because of this policy. “Many students have fallen victim to online scammers just because they want to buy pounds, a friend of mine, for example, was a victim of third-party purchase as the banks at home are not dependable.” Another Nigerian student studying in Leeds explained that the major challenge was that many kept their tuition fees in their naira account at the former rate. The student said, “Now they have to start looking for more money because the rate has gone up. If the official rate is not different from street rate, so what’s the essence of waiting for several weeks for your bank when you can just get it from third-party platform. It has only put more pressure on the students to look for more money.” The student added, “If you put N5m in your account in March when the rate was around N560/£, that means it will pay around £9k tuition fee, but by July, the N5m will only be able to pay around £5k since the rate is now around 1k/£, so that’s where the real problem is. You need to start looking for an additional £4k. That’s the challenges many students are facing.” Another Nigerian, who is currently studying at Liverpool John Moores University, has become stranded after the school withdrew his access to the school portal. His access to the university’s portal was withdrawn by the school following his failure to pay his tuition. The Nigerian (name withheld) could not raise the required 4,800 pounds to complete his tuition. Narrating his ordeal to The PUNCH, he said, “The school has withdrawn my access to its platform. As a result, I can’t check the results of my last exam. Everything is done via the platform. I cannot also access my official email given by the school. I can’t attend both online and in-person classes again. It is very frustrating, I am completely shut out.” The depressed student, who is allowed to work for 20 hours a week as a student, said he could not get a better job because prospective employers were demanding proof that he is allowed to work as a student. He added, “In fairness to the school, I was given several deadlines which I missed. I could not pay because I was unable to raise enough funds to buy foreign exchange. The exchange rate is very high.” Another student (name withheld) of the school, said he was on the verge of losing his studentship before he managed to borrow money from friends in Nigeria to pay his tuition. He shared a copy of a letter that had been addressed to him giving him a final deadline to pay the outstanding tuition. The letter read in part, “According to our records there is an outstanding balance of £4800 on your university tuition fee account. LJMU has advised you of this situation via emails to both your LJMU and personal email addresses. “Despite this correspondence, the debt remains outstanding and accordingly, we are now arranging for you to be withdrawn as a student of the University. If this happens, UK Visas and Immigration will be informed that you are no longer a student at LJMU.” The letter was sent by the Head of Registry Services of the school. A student, studying IT Project Management at Teesside University, lamented to The PUNCH that many Nigerian students are still in shock. She said, “Some people are not totally stable because they used to convert their naira to pounds for school fees payment.” She explained that while she did not benefit from the official rate initially, she still has to pay more now. She said “When I got in initially, I converted at the rate of N920-935 thereabout. But after the CBN reforms, it has been a nightmare. The highest I did a while ago was N990. But today, it is about N1008, if not more.” Another Nigerian student (name withheld), who is studying at Strathclyde University, explained that the new exchange rate might cause him to drop out of school. He said, “This new reality has called for a review of the whole plan entirely. Everything has to reset at the end of the year. “My year is ending in October/November but I now have to review everything. I am running a Ph.D. programme and the cost is 20,000 pounds

  Hakeem Muri-Okunola, the Lagos state head of service, will be named principal private secretary (PPS) to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, TheCable understands. Muri-Okunola, also known as “HMO”, was personal assistant to Tinubu between 2003 and 2005 when he was governor of Lagos state. Tinubu thereafter appointed him executive secretary of the land use and allocation committee. He became permanent secretary in 2011 — about 10 years after joining the civil service — and was posted to the Lands Bureau in the Governor’s Office.   He has been head of service since December 2018 when he took over from Folashade Adesoye. HMO, who was 51 in January, is the first son of the late Justice Muritala Okunola. It is still unclear what his job description as PPS will be since the president already has a chief of staff. When President Umaru Musa Yar’Adau appointed a PPS in 2007, he abolished the office of chief of staff. However, President Goodluck Jonathan had a chief of staff in addition to a “principal secretary” without the “private”. Typically, a PPS runs the president’s office, same role the chief of staff plays. TheCable understands that Femi Gbajabiamila, the chief of staff, may focus more on the political aspects of the president’s engagements while Muri-Okunola may handle the administrative matters. Credit: TheCable

  Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State is recuperating in a hospital abroad and is expected back in office soon, Deputy Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has said. Aiyedatiwa, the state’s acting governor, said in a statement Tuesday that he is in constant touch with the governor. “I am in touch with him, the latest being on Sunday when he expressed appreciation to me and other state executive council members for holding fort while he is away,” Aiyedatiwa said.   “I like to also join the governor to express our profound appreciation to you all for your unending show of love and solidarity.” Governor Akeredolu embarked on medical leave on June 7 and was billed to return to work on July 6. But on Monday, the speaker of the state House of Assembly, Olamide Oladiji, confirmed the lawmakers received a notice of extension of the governor’s medical leave. Aiyedatiwa, in his statement, urged the public to ignore rumours about the governor’s health status, including claims that he had passed away.   “You are aware of the message of the governor to the people of Ondo State in which he thanked the people and other critical stakeholders for their support and loyalty. “The governor appreciates your prayers and good wishes for himself and the state, across board. He is in high spirits, recuperating and being expected back in office to continue with his laudable service to the state, as soon as he is certified medically fit by his doctors.” Aiyedatiwa has been acting governor of the state since July 13 when he was confirmed for the position by the House of Assembly.

  Operatives of the Ebonyi Police Command has killed two hoodlums, who were allegedly enforcing sit-at-home, in the state. Sit-at-home in the South-East is a brainchild of the separatist Indigenous People of Biafra to protest the continued detention of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu. The hoodlums were said to have shot sporadically into the air within the Okposi area in the Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, while trying to enforce a sit-at-home order, on Monday, when operatives of the command engaged them in a gun duel. In a statement, on Tuesday, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Onome Onovwakpoyeya, said men of the command gunned down one of the hoodlums, as the shootout ensued. The statement read, “On 10/07/2023, at about 1350hrs, some armed men, suspected to be IPOB/ESN members, went to Okposi in Ohaozara LGA and started shooting sporadically into the air. “The hoodlums engaged the policemen in a gun duel, which resulted in one of them being neutralised while the others escaped with varying degrees of bullet wounds.” The police said they recovered one blue Highlander SUV “riddled with bullets”; one pump-action gun; five live cartridges; four handsets; one Sumec Fireman generator; charms; nine expended shell of AK-47 rifle ammunition, among others. Meanwhile, the self-acclaimed leader of a splinter group of IPOB, Simon Ekpa, has declared 14 days of sit-at-home in the entire South-East. He his declaration came barely 24 hours after the expiration of a seven-day lockdown declared by the same group, which led to killings and destruction of property across South-East. In a statement on Tuesday, Ekpa said the imminent sit-at-home order, billed to commence from July 31 through August 14, 2023, was a consequence of the ‘earnest demand’ by southeasterners for a frequent lockdown in the zone. According to him, the sit-at-home order was to draw the authorities’ attention to Kanu’s continued detention. Ekpa further ordered oil and gas companies operating in the South-South zone to shut down their operations, within the period.