Nigerian LNG Limited (NLNG) and Rivers State Government have said that with global trends in technologies, investments in science education is key to nation building and should be encouraged.
Speaking on the issue in Port Harcourt at the grand finale of the NLNG 2022 Rivers State Science Quiz Competition for Junior and Senior Secondary school pupils was Commissioner for Education, Prof. Prince Chinedu Mmom. He said Nigeria cannot develop as a nation if it fails to invest in science and technology education.
“The world is moving ahead, we can’t afford to lag behind. So Nigeria must buy into the global trend of science and educational training and development, that’s the way we can grow and that’s why I keep giving kudos to NLNG,” he said.
He charged corporate organisations to emulate NLNG and invest in science education with the aim of building and developing the nation’s indigenous technology, saying: “It is high time we developed ours instead of depending on western technology. The students have done well, they should keep it up.”
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The General Manager External Relations and Sustainable Development, Mr. Andy Odeh, described investment in science education as a dream for better tomorrow and sustainable future where the inputs of today will materialise as gains.
The competition, according to him, aims at inspiring healthy competition among youths and to spur interest in science and technology as a way of equipping young minds for nation building.
Bonny National Grammar School clinched the first prize in the secondary school category.
This year’s competition comes after the pilot edition in 2021 on Bonny Island. The competition, which is open to secondary schools in Rivers State, is in partnership with the Rivers State Ministry of Education and the Science Teachers Association of Nigeria (STAN), Rivers State chapter.
Bonny National Grammar School emerged out of seven finalists in the grand finale. Enitonna High School and Niger Delta Science School took the second and third positions, respectively. Other schools that participated in the finals were Community Comprehensive Secondary School, Obio-Apkor (4th position); Government Secondary School, Eneka (5th position); Community Secondary School, Kiran; (6th position) and 7th position: and Okrika National Secondary School, Okrika (7th position).
Nigerian-born tech execs convicted in US for laundering $167 million
Three businessmen of Nigerian descent – Anslem Oshionebo, Opeyemi Odeyale and Aleoghena Okhumale – have been convicted for money laundering in the United States.
Their fate was sealed after Ping Express U.S. LLC pleaded guilty to failure to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program.
The Texas company, which transferred millions of dollars from America to Africa, admitted that it failed to play by the rules.
Though the company was licensed to transmit money, it had no approval to conduct currency exchange.
Ping Express charged U.S. customers a fee to remit money to beneficiaries in Nigeria and other countries in the continent.
The company confessed to allowing over 1,500 customers to violate the laws. One customer remitted $80,000 in one single month, more than 17 times the limit.
Ping Express transmitted more than $167million outside America, including $160million to Nigeria, since 2019,
The company admitted it failed to request sufficient details about the sources or purposes of the funds involved in the transactions, or the customers.
A customer, Collins Orogun acknowledged accepting a fee in exchange for transferring money for “romance scam” fraudsters and other criminals.
Orogun received at least $1.3million, cashier’s checks, wires into U.S. bank accounts and moved more than $1million to Africa through Ping.
The defendant faces up to 20 years in federal prison; his sentencing is set for January 23, 2023.
Ping CEO Oshionebo and Ping COO Odeyale were sentenced to 27 months in prison; IT/Business Development Manager Okhumale got a 42 months jail term.
The company now faces five years of probation and a fine of up to $500,000; sentencing has been set for December 19, 2022.
Christopher Miller, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Dallas said agents and forensic accountants work to eradicate bulk cash smuggling.
“Our investigative reach provides access to a wide range of financial networks allowing HSI to disrupt any criminal organization attempting to exploit global trade”, Miller noted.
HSI Dallas Field Office conducted the probe in collaboration with the Texas Department of Banking. Assistant U.S. Attorney John de la Garza is the prosecutor.
Why I had surgery in Nigeria — VP Osinbajo
Although his doctors advised him to consider doing the surgical operation to correct a fracture on his right femur (thigh bone) abroad, the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo insisted on using a Nigerian hospital and medical experts for the procedure.
According to sources close to Duchess International Hospital where the operation took place on Saturday, some of the government and private practice doctors of the Vice President made the suggestion because the going abroad option is often usually considered by such class of patients and at times the option could also seem more seamless.
But one of the doctors who coordinated the whole operation, Dr. Yemi Onabowale, who is the founder of the Reddington Hospital, was quoted to have said “the VP was clear that he had confidence in Nigerian doctors both at home and abroad and would prefer they handle the operation.”
His preference to have the surgery done in Nigeria is also being regarded as a major boost for the government’s often stated objective of a reversed medical tourism as some voices in the healthcare sector have expressed excitement at Prof Osinbajo’s choice.
He was also said to have argued that doing the operation in Nigeria would not only encourage Nigerian doctors who are among the best anywhere in the world, but it would also help develop the capacity here in Nigeria warmly including groups of doctors like some NMA chapters and other public intellectuals
Meanwhile, the Federal Executive Council, FEC, has wished Prof Osinbajo a quick recovery, after the successful operation.
FEC conveyed its goodwill message in a statement yesterday in Abuja by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Boss Mustapha.
Mustapha said the surgical operation, possibly related to a long-standing injury associated with the game of squash, was performed by a team of specialist doctors in Lagos.
“As Prof. Osinbajo recuperates from the surgical operation, FEC wishes him quick recovery so as to continue to give the needed support for the overall growth and stability of the country, ” Mustapha said.
