DRAGNET MD CALLS FOR IMPROVED QUALITY EDUCATION IN NIGERIA: DECRIES HUGE GAP BETWEEN NIGERIA AND UK TRAINED GRADUATES

If Nigeria must attain the Vision 20:2020 national economic projection, concerted efforts must be made to improve the human capacity competence of Nigerian graduates.

According to Mr. Robert Ikazoboh, Managing Director, Dragnet Solutions, Nigeria's leading computer-based testing and talent management firm, the competence level of an average Nigerian graduate is still low compared to that of their European counterparts, particularly UK graduates.

Ikazoboh, while analyzing the body of data that his company gathered over the last five years through conducting employment tests for leading multi-national companies both in Nigeria and the UK, noted that the competence gap between an average Nigerian graduate and a UK trained graduate is 17 per cent.

AMSTERDAM AIRPORT PARTLY CLOSED OVER WORLD WAR II BOMB DISCOVERED!!!

Authorities evacuated parts of Amsterdam's Schiphol airport on Wednesday after workers found an unexploded World War Two bomb, forcing airlines to delay and cancel some flights.

The German bomb was discovered buried underground near the transport hub's busy Terminal C, which handles flights to most major European destinations, the Dutch Defence Ministry said in a statement.

Schiphol cleared and closed Terminal C, parts of Terminal D and one landing strip, an airport spokeswoman said.

A handful of European flights were cancelled, while several dozen were delayed, she added.

The 500kg explosive, uncovered during construction work, would be taken to a safe location and dismantled, the ministry said.

Schiphol was a military airport during World War Two. It was bombed both by the Germans at the start of the conflict and by Allied forces during the fighting.

Flights by airline KLM, which is part of Franco-Dutch group Air France KLM and uses Schiphol as its main hub, were affected, Schiphol's website showed.

Schiphol is Europe's fifth busiest airport and handled about 45 million passengers in 2010.

It is owned by the Dutch state, the cities of Amsterdam and Rotterdam, and French airports operator Aeroports de Paris.

SOURCE: YAHOO

NIGERIAN CHURCH BAN TOWERING HEAD TIE KNOWN AS GELE

It's an indispensable fashion accessory, worn by every Nigerian woman at some point. Some are never seen without it, including Nigeria's finance minister who calls her modest headwrap her trademark. Others, such as Nollywood actor Abiola Atanda, are known for their foot-high towers at red carpet events.

But a Nigerian church has now banned its congregation from wearing large headwraps, called geles, saying they form a "barricade" when women sit side-by-side and are a potential security risk amid attacks from militant Islamist groups.

Churchgoers who wear geles that seek to reach for the heavens will have their "big headgears" confiscated from next month, the congregation at St Theresa's Cathedral Church in the south-eastern Nigerian state of Enugu have been warned. Other churches are debating whether to follow St Theresa's head start.

"In view of the present security challenges the church has urged women to stop coming to Sunday service with big headgears and bags to enable security men to know when a bomb will be smuggled into the church," Reverend Father Uche Obodoechina said, adding that the headwraps made it difficult to identify people. Catholic churches in Nigeria usually maintain that women must cover their hair during services, which are attended by Nigerians of all ages.

Capable of towering two feet in gravity-defying folds and arcs of lace or stiff jacquard, geles are the crowning glory of traditional outfits typically worn to church and sometimes seen as status symbols based on size alone. Important occasions – of which weddings and churchgoing remain firm favourites – can prompt intricate geles, usually finished off with stone-encrusted sunglasses and flashy handbags. "Women feel naked without their geles on special occasions," said Lagos-based makeup artist Kadiatou Sangare, who often helps women tie elaborate creations.

The crackdown on geles is one of a series of increasing security measures after Nigeria endured a spate of bomb attacks on churches and mosques from militant Islamist group Boko Haram. This year it has targeted at least six churches in northern and central Nigeria, prompting fears it is trying to ignite a sectarian war among Nigeria's evenly split Muslims and Christians. It has never struck a southern Nigerian state.

CBN TO PRINT NEW N5,000 NOTES, OTHERS, WITH N40 BILLION

It has been alleged that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) will spend about N40.3billion to produce its new coins and Naira notes.

Out of the amount, N11.8billion will be spent on the new N20, N10 and N5 coins.

“The bank is spending over N40billion on the production of new coins and notes.” a member of the board of the CBN disclosed to Punch Newspaper.

“The N40billion is the total sum for the production of the coins and the new notes”  stated the CBN Board member, who does not want to identified statedthe board member added.

According to the source, the CBN, at its board meeting two months ago decided that most of the new notes and coins would be printed by the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company.

The meeting agreed that only the N5,000 note would be printed by a foreign firm which had “the technology and the capacity to handle the sensitive features in it.”

Man hides N27m drug in metal pipes

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, over the weekend arrested a 26-year-old man for allegedly smuggling 8.5kg of methamphetamine worth about N27 million tactically concealed inside metal pipes at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

 The suspect, Mr. Afunaya Thaddeus Izunna, who sells phone accessories in Ikeja, Lagos, was apprehended with the narcotic drug during the screening of passengers on Ethiopian airline flight to New Delhi, India.

 Speaking on the arrest, the NDLEA Airport Commander, Mr. Hamza Umar, said the drug was discovered when anti-narcotic officials insisted in searching the metal pipes inside Izunna’s luggage.

 According to Umar, the drug with a total weight of 8.5kg is one of the highest seizures recently recorded at the airport.

 On the development, NDLEA Chairman, Mr. Ahmadu Giade, said: “This is a spectacular seizure because the drug was carefully concealed in a way that makes detection difficult. The significance is that a warning signal has been sent to the enemy camp that one of their best tricks is not good enough. This has been my position and order to the officers that drugs should be intercepted regardless of the mode of concealment.”

 The NDLEA boss however stressed that the suspect would soon be charged to court. Narrating his ordeals, the suspect, Mr. Izunna who hails from Anambra State noted that he was asked to deliver the drug to somebody in India for a fee.

SOURCE: Vanguard

2face, Eldee, Others Sign with Spinlet

Spinlet has announced the signing of Nigerian super stars 2face, MI, Wizkid and eLDee on its platform. We’re told the acts join the likes of Banky W, MI, Darey Art Alade, Ice Prince and other popular artists already signed to the digital music distribution platform.

In recent times, the company has been lauded by Nigerian artists as an inspiring change maker in the forefront of promoting both upcoming and established artists with the provision of unique opportunities for artists to explore and enhance their talent on several platforms.

Spinlet is an international digital music download service founded in 2006 in Finland and introduced to the Nigerian market on Wednesday, May 23, 2012.

‘We’re happy to have so many great names on our platform. We’re equally passionate about promoting our upcoming acts. Just like everyone else, I look forward to every Industry Nite. It’s become a really exciting platform for both artists and music lovers. Mark Redguard, Chief Marketing Officer of Spinlet remarked ‘But we are not only involved in Industry Nite, he added, but  also  in a number of other projects that will positively affect the Nigerian music like Gospel Night Live, Felabration, The Dagrin Tribute and more. There’s something for everyone on Spinlet, he assured.’ ‘I think it’s safe to say, with Spinlet, we are finally on the right track in fighting piracy, empowering artists and promoting talent’ Banky W Added.

Spinlet is a major sponsor of the Industry Nite and is also making plans to sponsor Industry Nite in other states across the country.

MISS CHINA CROWNED MISS WORLD 2012

MISS CHINA CROWNED MISS WORLD 2012

China's Yu Wenxia has been crowned the 2012 Miss World. This is the second time Miss China has been awarded the title. The last time was in 2007 when Zhang Zilin took the honor.

The first runner-up is Sophie Elizabeth Moulds of Wales and the second runner-up is Jessica Michelle Kahawaty of Australia. The 23-year-old Yu is a music student who says she wants to become a music teacher.

This is the first time for the Inner Mongolian city of Ordos to host the international beauty pageant.

The city is one of the richest regions in China thanks to its abundant natural resources. It hopes the world event will raise its profile for economic development and tourism.

Sanya, another Chinese city, has hosted the contest several times.
SOURCE: YAHOO

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