News
Reps back ban on under-18 SSCE, UTME candidates
The recent decision by the Federal Government to peg the minimum age for candidates sitting for the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination may have come to stay, the House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education has said.
The Minister of Education, Prof Tahir Mamman, had in July stated that with effect from 2025, any candidate below the age of 18 will not be allowed to sit the SSSCE and without which such students cannot secure admission to higher institutions of learning.
The announcement has generated heated debate among parents and education stakeholders.
In an exclusive interview with The PUNCH on Thursday, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education, Mark Useni, gave reasons the Federal Government might not likely reverse the decision.
He said, “The Committees on Basic Education and Examination Boards took this matter to the leadership of the House of Representatives. The Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, promptly appointed the House Leader, Prof Julius Ihonvere, to moderate a meeting between the two committees and the Minister of Education, Prof Tahir Mamman.
“The meeting was held on Wednesday, September 4, and the minister attended together with the Minister of State for Education, Dr Tanko Sununu, as well as the heads of basic education examination bodies.
“The minister explained that the policy that relates to the 18 years age requirement for entry into the university is a policy that was developed before the adoption of the 6-3-3-4 system. He explained that the policy also has a root in the Universal Basic Education Act.
“Prof Tahir said the policy is not peculiar to Nigeria, while also making reference to military and paramilitary institutions which place the entry age at 18 years. He also said that the voting age in Nigeria is pegged at 18 years.”
Useni, a member of the All Progressives Congress representing Takum/Donga/Ussa Federal Constituency, Taraba State, frowned on the situation where children not older than 12 “are being made to seek admission into universities.”
“While the policy is meant to ensure that children pursue their education alongside their cognitive and physical development and maturity, the Ministry of Education should develop a framework for proper transition into a full policy implementation.
“The Ministry of Education must ensure that students who are already progressing in the senior classes in secondary schools are not left stranded after completion of that level of education.
“We mandated the minister and his team to work out ways of handling the policy based on data available to the ministry and ensure that the policy does not jeopardise public interest,” he added.
News
SAD! 10 Family Members Die In Private Jet Crash
A tragic plane crash in the city of Gramado, southern Brazil, has claimed the lives of ten family members of influential businessman, Luiz Claudio Galeazzi.
The crash involved a private plane piloted by Brazilian businessman Luiz Claudio Galeazzi. He, along with his wife, three daughters, and other family members, died in the crash, according to a statement from his company.
The small aircraft reportedly struck a building’s chimney, as well as a house and a shop, before crashing. Local authorities confirmed that 17 people on the ground were injured, with two in serious condition.
Mr. Galeazzi, 61, was reportedly taking his family on a trip to Jundiaí, São Paulo state. All ten victims were members of his family, as confirmed by the Governor of Rio Grande do Sul, Eduardo Leite.
The plane had taken off in poor weather conditions. The aircraft flew for about 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) before crashing into the urban area just minutes after takeoff on Sunday morning.
An eyewitness, Nadia Hansen, described hearing the plane revving up before it hit the building. “At the time, it was revving up. You could see that it was accelerating a lot,” Hansen said. “Then there was a bang as it hit the building and then it passed close to my house and then it fell, and I thought it had dropped in front of the house.”
Emergency workers were seen at the crash site, attending to the wreckage and debris from damaged buildings. Galeazzi was the CEO of Galeazzi & Associados, a corporate restructuring and crisis management firm based in São Paulo. His company expressed its condolences in a LinkedIn statement, honoring Galeazzi’s dedication to his family and his professional legacy.
The crash occurred near the center of Gramado, hitting a house, furniture store, and hotel. The cause of the accident is under investigation by the Aeronautical Accident Investigation and Prevention Center (Cenipa). Governor Leite assured that the state was mobilized to provide necessary assistance.
Gramado, a well-known tourist destination, has recently been hit hard by devastating flooding earlier this year, which caused extensive damage and displaced thousands of residents.
News
Renovation: Tinubu, Shettima’s official quarters to gulp N6.36bn
The Federal Government has allocated a total of N6,364,181,224 billion for the renovation and rehabilitation of the residential quarters of President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, and some of their aides in the 2025 budget proposal.
Sunday PUNCH’s analysis of the proposed allocation, contained in the 2025 Appropriation Bill presented to the National Assembly, showed that the annual maintenance of the Presidential Villa would gulp N5.49bn.
According to the proposed budget, N765m will be used for the renovation of the Vice President’s quarters and guest house.
The renovation of the president’s quarters at the State House will cost N6.39m, while the renovation of security quarters, auditorium, gymnasium and presidential aides’ quarters will cost N49m.
In addition, the renovation of Prescott barracks at Maple State House officers’ mess building and signal office in Asokoro, Abuja will cost N51m.
Further analysis of the budget revealed that Tinubu and his vice are also expected to have N87m as honorarium and sitting allowances, while N127m was allocated for the procurement of SUVs.
Also, N3.66bn was budgeted for the purchase of State House operational vehicles and N1,09bn will be spent on replacement of SUV vehicles at the State House.
Under the budget of the State House Lagos Liaison Office, there is an allocation of N14.72m for the routine maintenance of State House Lagos facilities (Dodan Barracks, Vice President guest houses at Ikoyi, among others).
Another N140.10m was allocated for the completion of renovation and furnishing of the State House annex (Dodan Barracks), Lagos.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government is planning to spend N1.83bn on converting forfeited properties from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission into State House quarters.
The plan to convert forfeited houses from the EFCC comes in the same month that the commission disclosed the recovery of an estate in the Lokogoma District of Abuja, measuring 150,500 square metres and containing 753 units of duplexes and other apartments.
The commission described this as its “single largest asset recovery” since its inception in 2003.
The estate rests on Plot 109 Cadastral Zone C09 of the district, and was forfeited in a ruling on Monday, December 2, 2024, by Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie.
(Punch)
News
SEE NAIRA Rates Against The USD, GBP, EURO Today December 23, 2024
WHEN we look at this month, USD was traded at ₦ at the beginning of this December on Monday, December 2, 2024. As at today with USD being traded at ₦1,655 we see a % for United States Dollar to Naira exchange rate for this month.
On this page, we are primarily focusing on the Black Market Dollar To Naira Exchange Rate Today, the USD to Naira currency pair are the most traded currency in the FX market.
Black Market Exchange Rates
Buying Rate
Selling Rate
Dollar to Naira 1655 1640
Pounds to Naira 2150 2000
Euro to Naira 1730 1700
Canadian Dollar to Naira 1146 1135
Rand to Naira 52 43
Dirham to Naira 0 0
Yuan to Naira 62 62
G.Cedi to Nair 70 50
CFA F. (XOF) To Naira 0.83 0.81
CFA F. (XAF) To Naira 0.74 0.74
READ ALSO: INSIDE LIFE: 26-Year-Old Lady Died In Bangladesh With No One To Claim Her Body, She Is A Nigerian From Enugu (SEE PHOTO)
Having full knowledge how much USD to NGN black market exchange rate today will give you a better opportunity to plan and make informed decisions.
Nairatoday.com
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