After weeks of negotiations 👥 with the International Olympic Committee, Los Angeles 🇺🇸 officials, reached a deal to host the 2028 Summer Games under terms they hope will generate hundreds of millions 💰 in savings and additional revenues.

The agreement will bring the Olympics back to Southern California 🌴 for a third time, after Los Angeles hosted in 1984 and 1932. It also opens the door 🚪 for the 2024 Games to be held in Paris.🇫🇷

“It has been certainly a roller coaster 🎢,” LA bid chairman Casey Wasserman told The Times, adding that IOC officials “showed a real willingness to be thoughtful and creative.”

The 2028 Olympics will be the first American-hosted 🇺🇸 games since 1996 in Atlanta.

The French 🇫🇷 capital was seen as the sentimental choice for 2024, with the event falling 100 years after it last hosted the Olympics‼️

The decision avoids inflicting another defeat on Paris 🇫🇷 — which lost with bids for the 1992, 2008 and 2012 Olympics — and the United States 🇺🇸. New York and Chicago both lost heavily for 2012 and 2016, respectively.

UCJ, UNILORIN.

Russian 🇷🇺 government warned Poland 🇵🇱 that it will face sanctions if it removes ❌ monuments glorifying 🎉 the Soviet victory in World War Two.

The Russian🇷🇺 foreign ministry, also expressed anger at Poland's🇵🇱 decision to exclude Russia🇷🇺 from an international project to build a museum at Sobibor, site of a notorious Nazi death camp.⛺

The ministry said Russia🇷🇺, invited ✉️ to join the project in 2013, but this month it was told that the Polish🇵🇱 government wanted to keep the original group involved, from Poland🇵🇱, Israel 🇮🇱, the Netherlands 🇳🇱 and Slovakia 🇸🇰.

In 2007, Estonia's 🇪🇪 removal of a Red Army statue in its capital Tallinn sparked a violent protest ⚔ by Russian🇷🇺 speakers 🔉 and a massive cyber attack 💻 on Estonian🇪🇪 official websites.

UCJ, UNILORIN.

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Robert Clark, warned that there is no need to amend the 1999 constitution, describing it as a rotten egg.

He instead, advised the Federal Government to quickly organise a process for a people Constitution.

He made this known on Channels TV’s Politics Today while addressing the clamour for restructuring which has remained on the nations’s front burner.

“The 1999 Constitution is a rotten egg in Nigeria. It is a constitution that has allowed both the executives operating it and the legislators operating it to feed themselves. So I believe that if we want to amend, there is no need to amend a rotten egg.

UCJ, UNILORIN.

Spanning 1,621 feet and rising as high as 279 feet, the newly opened Charles Kuonen Suspension Bridge 🌉 in Switzerland 🇨🇭 has broken the record 📖 for the world's 🌎 longest pedestrian suspension bridge 🌉, according to Zermatt Tourism.

The bridge 🌉, which replaced an older one that was damaged by falling rocks, was named after its chief sponsor, a psychologist and co-owner of a Swiss winery.

According to Edith Zweifel, a spokesperson for the travel ✈️ board, it cuts the journey across the valley from three to four hours to a mere 10 minutes‼️

While the bridge's 🌉 height has removed the risk of rock fall, more height-averse hikers may want to plan ahead before making the trek.

"People who have problems with a fear of heights, they have to close their eyes, or have someone to walk just behind," Zweifel said.

UCJ, UNILORIN.

Once complete, probably in April next year, the AI Bridging Cloud Infrastructure (ABCI) 💻 will be the most powerful supercomputer in the world 💻, surpassing the current champion, China's 🇨🇳 Sunway TaihuLight, currently operating at 93 petaflops.

The supercomputer 💻 is expected to run at a speed of 130 petaflops, meaning it is able to perform a mind-boggling 130 quadrillion calculations ➕ per second (that's 130 million billion)‼️

"The current supercomputer system is one million times faster ‼️ than your personal computers 💻," explains Satoshi Sekiguchi, a director general at 🇯🇵 Japan's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology.

Japan's 🇯🇵 K computer, which runs at just over 10 petaflops, claimed the title 🏆 of world's fastest supercomputer for 6️ months in 2011, before it was outperformed by the United States 🇺🇸 and China 🇨🇳.

UCJ, UNILORIN.

Here are the 🔝-10 highest grossing Hollywood films🎥 from the weekend.

Format: Film - Weekend Gross - Total Gross - No.of weeks run

1⃣ Dunkirk $28.1M $102.8M 2 

2⃣ The Emoji Movie $25.7M $25.7M 1 

3⃣ Girls Trip $20.1M $65.5M 2 

4⃣ Atomic Blonde $18.6M $18.6M 1
 
5⃣ Spider-Man: Homecoming $13.5M $278.4M 4 

6⃣ War for the Planet of the Apes $10.4M $118.7M 3 

7⃣ Despicable Me 3 $7.7M $230.4M 5 

8⃣ Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets $6.8M $30.6M 2 

9⃣ Baby Driver $4.1M $92.0M 5 

🔟 Wonder Woman $3.5M $395.4M 9

UCJ, UNILORIN.

Vice President Pence 🇺🇸, on his first full day in Eastern Europe, offered a clear and direct message to Russia 🇷🇺, warning the Kremlin that the United States 🇺🇸 will not tolerate Russian force or intimidation toward its neighbors and reassuring the Baltic States that the United States supports them in the face of "the specter of aggression from your unpredictable neighbor to the east."

"Under President 🇺🇸 Donald Trump, the United States of America rejects any attempt to use force, threats, intimidation, or malign influence in the Baltic States or against any of our treaty allies," Pence said Monday morning, speaking 🔉 alongside 3️⃣ Baltic leaders at the Estonian president's office here.

The vice president's remarks 🔉, at a joint news conference 📹 with the presidents of Estonia 🇪🇪, Latvia 🇱🇻 and Lithuania 🇱🇹, gave a preview of the roughly 20-minute speech 🔉 Pence delivered just hours later outside the headquarters of the Estonian🇪🇪 Defense Forces, in which he again offered a stern rebuke of Russia's recent actions to undermine democratic nations, including the United States.🇺🇸

UCJ, UNILORIN.

Nigerian newspaper Punch, reports that the police raided a hotel in Lagos State and says the hotel was cordoned off while the investigation was carried out.

More than 40 men have been arrested in Nigeria over the weekend for performing homosexual acts, police say.

Homosexual acts are punishable by up to 14 years in jail in Nigeria, while gay marriage and displays of same-sex affection are also banned.

The BBC's Chris Ewokor in the capital, Abuja, reports that Nigeria has an influential Christian evangelical movement in the south and strong support for Islamic law in the north, both of which oppose homosexuality.

UCJ, UNILORIN.

Union of Campus Journalists, University of Ilorin chapter, wishes you a happy new month.

UCJ, UNILORIN.

Things haven't changed much since 👱🏼 Trump's twitter 🐦 rampage on Saturday and Sunday morning. But it looks like the President 🇺🇸 cooled off 😎 a bit in the evening, probably making the most of whatever if left of his weekend. He was seen tweeting 🐦 just once, again an ardent plea against the 51-vote majority ⚖. On Monday morning however, he sneaked in another veiled threat and is back on his campaign game.

🐦 Don't give up Republican Senators, the World 🌎 is watching: Repeal & Replace...and go to 51 votes (nuke option), get Cross State Lines & more.

Yes we're still on the same topic and he still hopes that either his party or the Senate will change their mind and listen 🔉 to him🐦 tweeting.

🐦 If ObamaCare is hurting people, & it is, why shouldn't it hurt the insurance companies & why should Congress not be paying what public pays?

And here it is, fresh off the morning light️. Now that Trump is rather annoyed that no one 😡 is listening to him, he's wondering out loud if he should make everyone in the Government 'suffer' Obamacare too!

🐦 Highest Stock Market EVER, best economic numbers in years, unemployment lowest in 17 years, wages raising, border secure, S.C.: No WH chaos!

If you haven't been privy to the statistics 📈 that the president has been throwing 💪🏻 around in between his rather popular tweets 🐦, you would have missed this one too!

🐦 Suffolk_Sherif praises President Trump for making gang eradication a priority

With 17 arrests being being made ‼️ with the help of the Department of Justice, the Sherif seems rather happy that the government is helping him eradicate crime ⚔ in his county.

Source: Duta

UCJ, UNILORIN.

Four Arab countries, boycotting Qatar will only enter dialogue to ease the dispute if Doha agrees to certain demands, and "fights terror", the group said, in Manama.

"The four countries are ready for dialogue with Qatar with the condition that it announces its sincere willingness to stop funding terrorism and extremism and its commitment to not interfere in other countries' foreign affairs and respond to the 13 demands," Bahrain's Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed al-Khalifa said after meeting his counterparts.

The televised news conference in Manama came more than one month, after the Saudi-led bloc cut diplomatic ties with Qatar and imposed a land, sea and air blockade on the country.

As part of the boycott, the four countries also expelled Qatari expatriates. The group acknowledged that Qatari citizens had suffered as a result of their siege.

UCJ, UNILORIN.

Jose Mourinho ended speculation linking Manchester United's Marouane Fellaini with a move to Galatasaray, claiming it would be easier for the Turkish club to sign him as manager than buy the midfielder.

Gala's sporting director Cenk Ergun suggested his side were in pole position to land Fellaini, who has split opinion during his time at Old Trafford.

But despite United reportedly being on the brink of signing another midfielder in the form of Chelsea's Nemanja Matic, Mourinho insisted Fellaini - who is in the last year of his contract - will not be allowed to leave.

"It's easier for Galatasaray to get me than to get Maroaune," Mourinho told reporters. "Forget it. He's too important to me."

The Portuguese was speaking to the media after United's 3-0 friendly victory over Valerenga, a game in which £75million arrival Romelu Lukaku was on target with a header from a corner.

UCJ, UNILORIN.

The Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, condemned the violence that occurred during a Press briefing by some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kaduna.

The governor reacted to the attack in a statement by his spokesperson, Samuel Aruwan, directing necessary agencies to beef up security in the state.

“Having been briefed on the situation, the governor expressed sympathy with the NUJ and the persons that were harassed by the hoodlums.

“The governor directed that the security agencies should investigate and take necessary action against the hoodlums. The governor also directed security agencies to beef up security at the NUJ secretariat to protect journalists doing their duty.

UCJ, UNILORIN.

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo is expected to inaugurate a N10bn rice mill in Argungu, Kebbi State. The mill was constructed by the West African Cotton Limited.

Governor Abubakar Bagudu of Kebbi State disclosed this during a meeting with the management of WACOT at the Government House in Birnin Kebbi.

Bagudu, who expressed delight at the location of the factory in the state, said the importance of the plant could not be over emphasised, hence, the invitation to Osinbajo to commission it.

UCJ, UNILORIN.

At least 23 African Union peacekeeping troops and a Somalian soldier, were killed in an ambush carried out by armed group al-Shabab in the country's south, according to a senior regional official.

The fighting broke out when the al-Shabaab fighters attacked the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) troops, in the Bulamareer district of the Lower Shabelle region, about 140km southwest of the capital, Mogadishu.

"We have carried 23 dead AMISOM soldiers and a dead Somali soldier from the scene where al Shabaab ambushed AMISOM today," Ali Nur, the deputy governor of Lower Shabelle region, told Reuters news agency.

The armed group, which has been fighting the Western-backed government in Somalia, claimed they had killed 39 African Union troops.

UCJ, UNILORIN.

Football fans were confused by Sunday's Emirates Cup finale between Arsenal and Sevilla...

Despite suffering a 2-1 loss against the Spanish side, Arsenal still managed to claim the trophy by virtue of having scored more goals in the tournament overall, leading to widespread bewilderment.

But the confusion was shared amongst the players as well, with Sevilla striker, Wissam Ben Yedder taking to Twitter as a result.

The Frenchman, who set up Joaquin Correa for Sevilla's opener, jokingly asked Arsenal to “give us back” the trophy, with Eduardo Berizzo's men having won both of their Emirates Cup matches.

Ben Yedder's response drew an offensive reaction from one angry Arsenal supporter in particular, but the 26-year-old striker followed up with a razor-sharp response, asking Arsenal to take revenge on Sevilla in the Champions League, for which they have not qualified.

UCJ, UNILORIN.

Dozens of people were left suspended in mid-air after a cable car hit a support pillar and came to a stop over the River Rhine in Germany.

Fire crews and rescue teams in Cologne used a crane to reach the 75 trapped passengers, some of them said to be as high as 40m (130 ft).

Pictures show children being lowered to the ground. No injuries were reported. All of the 32 cars believed to have been in operation at the time came to a halt when the incident occurred.

The incident is said to have been the result of one of the gondolas clipping a part of the support structure, bringing the entire cable transport system to a standstill.

UCJ, UNILORIN.

Nigerian president is in the country for over two months, and the news television in a query on its website, asked which “head of state from which country has not set foot in his homeland in over two months?”

The mockery came in the latest edition of CNN’s “The Global Public Square (GPS)” show anchored by Fareed Zakaria.

In an apparent mockery of Nigeria and her President Muhammadu Buhari, CNN, on its programme displayed at 4:59pm local time on Sunday, asked,“The head of state from which country has not set foot in his homeland in over two months?”

It went ahead to tick an option with the name Nigeria as the correct answer. The options were given as Saudi Arabia, Cuba, Nigeria and Syria.

A screenshot of the mockery tweeted by Chidi Odinkalu, Former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission asked What do you say Nigerians?

UCJ, UNILORIN.

Europe's budget airline EasyJet flew into a storm, after it emerged a member of the ground staff at Nice airport in France, punched one of its passengers in the face while he was holding a baby.

"We had a serious problem with someone of staff from our subcontractor Samsic," Jean-Francois Guitard, a director at Nice airport told CNN.

"EasyJet is very concerned to see this picture and can confirm the person in the photo is not an EasyJet member of staff and they do not work for EasyJet's ground handling agents in Nice," the airline said in a statement.

"We are urgently taking this up with Nice Airport and their special assistance provider Samsic who we understand the person photographed works for. Passengers were provided with updates and refreshment vouchers during this time and the flight landed in London Luton last night," the airline said.

UCJ, UNILORIN.

Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil entering the last year of their Arsenal contracts, is an "ideal" situation for the club, believes manager Arsene Wenger.

Deals for Alexis and Ozil are due to expire at the end of the coming campaign, with the Chile international having been linked with Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain as a result.

And Wenger insisted it will become more common for top players to allow their contracts to run down, with Jack Wilshere, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Santi Cazorla and Kieran Gibbs also in the final year of their current deals.

"It is an ideal situation - everyone has to perform," Wenger said after his side defended their Emirates Cup title despite a 2-1 loss to Sevilla on Sunday.

"In the future you will see that more and more, players going to the end of their contract. Why? Because transfers become so high, even for normal players, they will go to the end of the contract because no one will want to pay the amount of money that is demanded. I am convinced that in the next 10 years that will become usual," he said.

UCJ, UNILORIN.

Former governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Kalu, said, Igbo will not support any move that will disintegrate Nigeria.

Kalu’s view was expressed in a lecture in Lokoja on Sunday at the inauguration of the GYB support group.

Delivering a lecture titled, ‘Mainstreaming Igbo in Nigeria Politics’; Kalu underscored the need to make Nigeria to work for all.

He said, “I see a more united country rising from the ashes of hate and fear. Those who fear that the Igbo do not have leaders should first try to find out how Igbo people manage their affairs. Yes, Igbo people have their leaders and when their leaders speak, those they lead take the cue. And of course, Igbo leaders are talking.”

He called on the Igbo to align properly and seek the strategic partnership of other interest groups and political blocs to achieve developmental ideas.

“The Igbo cannot do it alone. I agree that development of Igbo land is a task that must be done, but it cannot be done in isolation,” he said.

UCJ, UNILORIN.

Jose Mourinho says, Nemanja Matic is desperate to finalise a move to Manchester United but stopped short of confirming that the transfer was finalised.

The Chelsea midfielder reportedly underwent a medical on Sunday and a picture of him wearing United training gear began to circulate on social media.

Mourinho, who signed Matic as Chelsea boss in 2014, says the 28-year-old is keen on a reunion at Old Trafford but insisted that he will not discuss the matter in detail until the deal is concluded.

"I'm waiting for news," the United manager said after watching his side beat Valerenga 3-0 in a friendly in Oslo.

"I know that he wants it very, very much and when a player wants it very, very much, the chance is bigger.

"We have a chance. In football, until it's official, I saw many things happen... I refuse to say more than I'm telling you now."

UCJ, UNILORIN.

Saudi Arabia's unemployment rate rose to 12.7 percent in the first quarter of 2017, continuing its steady climb as the economy grapples with the fallout of low oil prices, official data shown.

The rising number of unemployed highlights the immense challenge Riyadh faces in meeting pledges to create jobs for its nationals amid a protracted economic slowdown.

The jobless rate is now more than a full percentage point above where it stood in the same quarter of last year, when Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced his Vision 2030 reform plan to diversify the economy beyond oil.

According to the Saudi Press Agency, the latest statistics show that the total number of Saudis seeking jobs is 906,552, of which around 219,000 are men and 687,500 are women.The plan aims to cut the unemployment rate to seven percent by 2030, among a raft of other targets.

UCJ, UNILORIN.

Special Assistant to the President on Prosecutions, Chief Okoi Obono-Obla, said the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister for Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), may report the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu; and Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, Ekpo Nta, to the Presidency.

He revealed that the heads of the agencies could be sanctioned for insubordination for withholding the case files of more than 35 ex-governors and senators from the AGF.

Obono-Obla said the refusal of the two anti-corruption agencies to forward the files to the AGF since July 2016 when the request was made had caused a setback to the anti-graft campaign of the Federal Government.

UCJ, UNILORIN.

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo is expected to inaugurate a N10bn rice mill in Argungu, Kebbi State. The mill was constructed by the West African Cotton Limited.

Governor Abubakar Bagudu of Kebbi State disclosed this during a meeting with the management of WACOT at the Government House in Birnin Kebbi.

Bagudu, who expressed delight at the location of the factory in the state, said the importance of the plant could not be over emphasised, hence, the invitation to Osinbajo to commission it.

UCJ, UNILORIN.

At least nine people, including an election candidate, were killed in the past 24 hours in Venezuela as the country voted for an all-powerful new legislative body tasked with reforming the constitution.

Country's opposition parties boycotted Sunday's polls, which they say is aimed at consolidating President Nicolas Maduro's power.

Counting of ballots across Venezuela began on Sunday night after the voting was extended by an hour. Preliminary results were expected before the end of the day.

Shootings at protests killed a 13-year-old and a 17-year-old in the western state of Tachira.

A soldier was also shot dead there. The death toll also included a 30-year-old regional leader of a youth opposition party in the northeast town of Cumana and two protesters in the western state of Merida.

UCJ, UNILORIN.

Nigerian president is in the country for over two months, and the news television in a query on its website, asked which “head of state from which country has not set foot in his homeland in over two months?”

The mockery came in the latest edition of CNN’s “The Global Public Square (GPS)” show anchored by Fareed Zakaria.

In an apparent mockery of Nigeria and her President Muhammadu Buhari, CNN, on its programme displayed at 4:59pm local time on Sunday, asked,“The head of state from which country has not set foot in his homeland in over two months?”

It went ahead to tick an option with the name Nigeria as the correct answer. The options were given as Saudi Arabia, Cuba, Nigeria and Syria.

A screenshot of the mockery tweeted by Chidi Odinkalu, Former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission asked What do you say Nigerians?

UCJ, UNILORIN.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, said Russia will expel 755 US diplomatic staff and could consider imposing additional measures against the United States as a response to new US sanctions.

Putin said in an interview televised on state television, that he ordered the move because he "thought it was the time to show that we're not going to leave that without an answer".

He, however, ruled out any immediate measure against the US. "I am against it as of today," Putin said in an interview with Vesti TV.

Russia said the US had until September 1 to reduce its diplomatic staff in Russia to 455 people, matching the number of Russian diplomats left in the US after Washington expelled 35 Russians in December.

New US sanctions were in part a response to conclusions by US intelligence agencies that Russia meddled in the 2016 US presidential election, and to further punish Russia for its annexation of Crimea in 2014.

UCJ, UNILORIN.

REFLECTIONS ON THE DETERMINATION UNSHAKEABLE MANTRA: A CRITIQUE OF THE EMINENT-LED ADMINISTRATION.

By

OSUJI, Chima Francis
 
 
Going Back in Time

At the twilight of the Idris Alao (Observation) led-administration, majority of the student populace had become upset with the Student Union due largely to what many had termed poor inter-human relations.” For example, the infamous response given by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity to the open letter written by Mr Akeukanwo Sulaiman, received untold condemnation and swift reprisals from several quarters within the student circle. In the main, the rejoinder in question drifted from the germane issues raised by the author of the open letter, and dwelled mainly on technicalities and trepidations against the author.

Another instance of the widespread criticism against the immediate past administration was the protracted delay in distribution of sweatshirts. To most students, the ugly situation represented the height of administrative insincerity and unaccountability. Consequently, one mans action became the casus belli that led to the hostility by a seemingly angry group of students against the entire members of the faculty of Law; the former constituency of Mr Alao Idris.

To this end, the hate mantra, 'No-More-Law' was used as a tool by interest groups to incite public indignation against the red tag bearers. Law students had to pay the ultimate price for the shortcomings of Mr. Observation to the point that a member of his constituency who was an aspirant for the post of SU General Secretary was booed beyond measure during the build-up to the 2016 SU general elections. And what was his sin? He lost because, he was a law student.

The overwhelming challenges that confronted most students then, together with the not-so-effective communication skill of the immediate past president, invariably inflamed the embers of conflict at various quarters within the university community.

By necessary implication, the above stated circumstances birthed an era of political resurgence; a period within which most students developed keen interest in the political dynamics of the Student Union. Evidencing this assertion was the massive turn-outs of students at the various pre-election events such as the manifesto night, press night, and the presidential debate. Worthy of mention, was the presidential debate which was perceived as the actual determinant that decided the fate of the next SU president.

The prevailing circumstances then, paved the way for the current Student Union President, Comrade Shobowale David Lukman Olawale (Eminent), as the face of hope and messiah who would take the students to the promise land. Mr Shobowale stole the show during the build-up of the 2016 SU election by outperforming his contenders for the post of president. Eminent, in this context therefore, can be rightly described as a consensus candidate. This is because, during the question and answer session of the 2016 presidential debate, Mr. Shobowale won the hearts of the electorate through his sheer display of intellectualism, and oratory prowess. There is no gainsaying this fact; it is a public knowledge.

Thus, the student populace had decided their fate by bringing about a change of administration based on shared sentiments and challenges. The rest is history.

The Journey on Murky Waters Begins

Upon its inauguration, one of the visible steps taken by the Eminent-led administration was making the contacts of the entire members of the Central Executive Council (CEC), available to the student populace. This move was deemed by many as a positive step in the right direction as it represented a paradigm shift from the usual focus on the office of President to other members of the executive council. In fact, the fairly high approval rating of the incumbent Unilorin Student Union is premised on its ability to learn from the shortcomings of the immediate past administration. Concrete steps were also taken to avoid the pitfalls that riddled the last administration.

Without mincing words, the Eminent-led administration has, to a great extent, given a human face to the phenomenon of leadership in the annals of history of the Student Union of the University of Ilorin. It has not only given a touch of humanity in service delivery, but also brought the Student Union right down to the doorsteps of students.
Be that as it may, like previous SU administrations, the Eminent-led administration also has its own flaws despite its huge success story.

It is against this backdrop that the author of this article seeks to do a personal critique of the Eminent-led administration with a view to appraising the collective and individual performance of the Central Executive Council, which is intended to serve as source of reflection to the incoming Reedof-led administration. 
 

Redeeming the Dented Image of the Student Union: The Agenda of the Eminent-led Administration

The generally held view by pundits and students alike, is that the Student Union in Nigeria is the agency of the University Management. That is, rather than serving the interest of the students, Union officials act according to the script of the powers that be within the university system. The University of Ilorin is not left out of this. Many students no longer keep faith with the operations of the Student Union due largely to the factor mentioned above.

The immediate past administration of Mr. Alao Idris was not spared at all in this regard. The Sweatshirt saga was just enough upset that caused most students to unleash their anger and dissatisfaction against officials of the Student Union. During the period under review, The students perceived their leaders as those engaged in double-standards; this was the kind of Student Union Mr. Shobowale inherited from his predecessor.

Perhaps, the choice of slogan —Determination Unshakeable, adopted by the Eminent-led administration was a foreshadow of the tons of challenges that would eventually engulf the students.
Having said that, it is trite knowledge that the philosophy, temperament, character, and personality of a leader determines the atmosphere of any given organization. A careful anatomy of Mr. Shobowale, portrays him as friendly, sensitive, emotive, vibrant, and diplomatic. Eminent's personality was the factor that created an enabling environment for his colleagues in the Central Executive Council to flourish.

As mentioned earlier, one of the pitfalls of the Observation-led administration was the gap in communication between the Student Union and the student populace. This is where many have rated the current Student Union, a record high in terms of information dissemination. This was achieved by visionary and proactive leadership through the sensational propaganda machine of the SU Public Relations Officer. Thus, most students were being carried along as regards matters that bothered on their welfare. They could tell, to an extent, the happenings in the Union. This is commendable.

Another commendable policy of the Eminent-led administration, was the tactful way with which Union officials responded to public criticism. Rather than unleashing a canon of malicious rejoinders to criticisms, they focused on addressing the real issue through civil means. In other words, tact and diplomacy were given a pride of place.

As a collective, the 2016/2017 SU administration is widely perceived as successful due to largely to effective communication.

The Place of Diplomacy in the Eminent-Led Administration: An Overview

The role of diplomacy in the process of public administration, international relations and conflict resolution cannot be over-emphasized. A leader who is bereft of this core trait of leadership is inevitably bound for crises.

Diplomacy is a construct in the parlance of International Relations. Encarta dictionary (2009) defines diplomacy as the management of communication and relationships between nations by members and employees of each nations government. The term can also be said to be a skill in international dealings etcetera. At the level of inter-human relations, it means skill and tact in dealing with other people.

In view of this therefore, the Eminent-led administration scores a record high in terms of information management. Mr. Alao Idris is arguably the most criticized SU President despite the laudable projects his administration undertook during the 2015/2016 academic session. One of the challenges of Mr. Alao Idris was his rigid philosophy of corporate governance, and his not-so-effective approach to criticisms with the commensurate diplomatic response. In other words, his response to critics was on a pay-as-you-go basis.

Conversely however, this is where the strength of the incumbent SU leadership lies. Most commendable is the way and manner the current SU leadership has handled appraisals from the likes of the Union of Campus Journalists (UCJ), razor-sharp criticisms by Mr Akeukanwo Sulaiman (The Pen), among others.

However, being diplomatic sometimes means robbing Peter to pay Paul. It means telling a series of lies in order to sustain the confidence of the followers in their leaders. Quite frankly, the Eminent led-administration cannot categorically exonerate itself from this. Doing such, means that every member of the Central Executive Council is saintly without blemish. Only the Heavens can tell the number of times the SU leadership must have engaged in double-standards in order to save its face and to be perceived as pro-students.
Diplomacy sometimes connotes double-standard. Many a time Union officials engage in double standards just to stay in the good books of the university management on the one hand, and the students on the other. To this end, the deliberate use of ambiguity becomes a veritable tool and close companion of student leaders in a bid to avoid being quoted verbatim on sensitive issues that are capable of invoking the wrath of the university management against them. In a very sensitive environment such as the University of Ilorin, the Eminent-led administration cannot claim innocence to this obvious status quo.

Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown. It is instructive to mention that SU officials occupy an extremely sensitive position at the epicenter mediating between the university authority and the students. It's never easy balancing the scale of interests on both sides of the divide. That said, the basic concern of a purpose-driven leader, is service delivery, not factors remote or trivial to the business of governance.

Thus, it is safe to submit that the good side of the Determination Unshakeable Administration far outweighs its shortcomings.

 
A Personal Anatomy of Unilorin SU Central Executive Council of 2016/2017 Academic Session.

I dare say that the current SU Central Executive Council, has, to a reasonable extent, done well as a collective unit. Together they have moved like a torrent with Eminent as the alpha of the pack.

Generally, the approval rating of the current SU leadership is arguably a record high. The seat of Executive President of the Student Union is an embodiment of executive power; a shield for protecting students interest, and a vehicle to attain social justice and positive change. Comrade Shobowale David Lukman Olawale a.k.a Eminent, has demonstrated these traits commendably.

At this juncture, each member of the CEC will be appraised based on performance from the standpoint of the author of this piece.

Miss Rufai Kehinde Esther a.k.a. Mhiz Khenny

Beginning with the office of Assistant General Secretary, Comrade Rufai Kehinde Esther (Mz Khenny), is an executive delight to behold. Though the dominant presence and competence of the General Secretary may seem to have eclipsed her duties, she still stands out as a public servant.
Mhiz Khenny is the go-to person any day, anytime. Her receptive heart always gives an air of care and friendliness. Her contagious smile gives a warm embrace of mutual respect and connection. This young lady is not only smart but also hardworking. Believe it or leave it, she truly merits her status as a consensus candidate.

However, it is difficult to determine the right yardstick to measure her actual performance. Besides, by Article E, Subsections 1-4, the SU Constitution accords a secondary role to the office of Assistant General Secretary who must be a female student of the University of Ilorin. So, it is a plus for Mhiz Khenny, not a minus. Congratulations!

Mr. Abdulazeez Habeeb Olawale a.k.a. Solution

Comrade Abdulazeez Habeeb Olawale (a.k.a. Solution) is not only a gentleman par excellence, but a humble public servant. His workaholic nature might have been the secret behind the success of this gentleman of letters. He has succeeded in managing effectively the affairs of the SU secretariat with the right sense of precision and commitment to duty.

However, a fair assessment of Mr. Solution is that, he simply maintained only the standard set by his predecessor, Comrade Ifective; a man known for his wizardry in writing, and prowess in speaking. In the absence of the immediate past president, the then CEC was still cool and confident in the hallowed chambers of the Senate Council with Ifective on ground.

That said, in terms of temperament and inter-human relations, Mr. Ifective (with the utmost respect) is no match to Comrade Solution. The humble nature of Mr. Abdulazeez is arguably the most profound among his colleagues. Generally, Mr. Solution gave his all to public service and he should be commended for it.

Mario

The Financial Secretary is next in line. The only obvious issue as regards her office, is the fact that she didn't publicize the account of the Union as stipulated by law. This is due largely to a pending case in the SU Judicial Council about the preferred schedule in publishing the account of the Student Union. 

As the norm, when an issue is in court it is prejudicial for litigants to speak about it officially, or act publicly in a manner inconsistent with subject of litigation. Thus, stalling any move by the Financial Secretary to publish the account of the Student Union as required by law.

Mario, however, missed the opportunity to do justice to this question during the SU Officials Media Chat event. The bone of contention in court is the frequency of publishing the Union account; it does not, in any way, restricts the Financial Secretary from discharging her constitutional duties.

During the said event, the earnings of Union officials were disclosed but no mention was made as to how much was in the account of the Union, and how much has been expended so far. This is antithetical to the principles of transparency and accountability.

Mario missed that golden opportunity to prove her critics wrong by not giving a statement of account of the Student Union. Unfortunately, this vacuum has cast a shadow of doubt on the entire SU officials and by extension, rendering her other duties unnoticed.

Personally, I believe she has given her all in service to the Union. Publishing the Union's account is just one out of the numerous and onerous duties of her office. I have had the benefit of seeing her take on the school management on sensitive issues in which she did fearlessly and respectfully. The thing is, Mario, like everyone else, has her own limitations. It does not in any way, cast a shadow of doubt on her personality and integrity as a public servant.

Mr. Omotosho Ahmed Damilare a.k.a. YAAyi

Comrade Omotosho Ahmed Damilare (a.k.a YAAyi) is a sensation to behold. He and his preferred media handlers have changed the entire complexion of publicity in the history of the Kaduna Nzeogwu building of Unilorin Student Union. He is one of the humble but cunning members of the Central Executive Council, whose inter-human relations is highly commendable. As the image maker of the Union, he scores a record high in terms of prompt information dissemination.

However, YAAyi's personal relationship with what some have tagged the 'SU's official information handlers cum propaganda machine,' has allowed for an inadvertent abuse of office. It is a known fact that before any media outfit (whether online, corporeal or incorporeal) can operate on the Unilorin campus, it must have been duly registered by the Student Affairs Unit as contained in the Student Handbook of the University of Ilorin. Even freelance journalists are required to register their designated pseudonyms with the appropriate authority without which, their activity would be termed illegal.

YAAyi seems not to be well acquainted with this rule regulating media practice in Unilorin. So far, the Union of Campus Journalists (UCJ) remains the most recognized press outfit on the Unilorin campus. UCJ is a convocation of student-journalists trained in the ethics and ethos of journalism regardless of discipline or field of endeavor.
Alas, the larger than life status and sudden rise to fame and celebration of YAAyi's close media associates, was occasioned by the good office of the Public Relations Officer, and the general disposition of the 2016/2017 administration of UNILORIN Student Union.

His associates are people who claim to be seasoned journalists yet hold political offices and are deeply soaked in partisanship. As such, they can never play their roles as watchdogs in taking affirmative actions whenever Mr. YAAyi and his cohorts do anything wrong as public servants. Compromise therefore, is a good bargain in exchange for favours and popularity.

You will never find such traits in the current leadership of UCJ UNILORIN, who understands that politics is a murky water a journalist must be willing to watchdog without fear or favour. For this reason, practicing student-journalists are not permitted to occupy elective positions and political appointments in the line of duty.

Nevertheless, what keeps this gentleman going, is his humble spirit and amiable nature. His ability to cause both public and private media outfits on campus to work closely with him (including the UCJ), is highly commendable. That notwithstanding, YAAyi has also done well within the purview of his duties.

Mr. Afolayan Kazeem Ibrahim a.k.a. Halogen

Comrade Afolayan Kazeem Ibrahim a.k.a Halogen, is another executive phenomenon that needs special evaluation. He is an unrepentant workaholic, and a personality full of life and humour. He has done his best to discharge his duties as required by law.

However, the ubiquitous nature of the office of President has contributed a great deal in compelling Mr. Halogen to work behind the scenes. Testimonies abound about the untiring spirit of Mr. Halogen toward protecting the interest of students generally, especially those staying in the school hostels.

Having said that, the most significant shortcoming, was his lack of follow-up on Miss Sarah Omoye, who, together with her neighbours, was a victim of arson attack somewhere off campus. During the tragic experience, Miss Sarah lost all but the cloth she was wearing to the flames that ravaged her apartment. A huge disaster such as this, ought to have got the undivided attention of the Welfare Secretary. Unfortunately, reverse was the case.

After a couple of moves by the Student Union, Miss Sarah was left alone to her fate. As God would have it, it took the timely intervention of a non-governmental organization who came to Miss Sarah's aid. The rest is history.

The denial of the Eminent-led administration to own up to the fact that no effective follow-up was made on Miss Sarah, remains a dent in the image of Mr. Halogen in particular, and the Student Union in general.

Furthermore, the perennial challenge of transportation remains a tall order for any Student Union administration so long as the students themselves, are not ready to embrace change and make sacrifices to that end. At best, they can only cushion the effect if the status quo remains the same.

Based on this therefore, there is little or nothing Mr. Halogen can do to solve the transport problem if students themselves remain unreceptive to changes.

Mr. Zubair Ibrahim Opeyemi a.k.a i-Zubair

Zubair Ibrahim Opeyemi (a.k.a i-Zubair) is yet another perfect gentleman. He has completely changed the complexion of sports in the university of Ilorin. His signature project, Unilorin League, is one of the milestones this humble public servant has achieved as the Sports Secretary under the 2016/2017 SU administration. The exploits of the school teams at the 2017 edition of NUGA held in Benue clearly attests to the fact that Comrade i-Zubair is a silent achiever.  In fact, you can hardly tell the difference between his sports updates from those of media outfits on the Unilorin campus.

Comrade i-Zubair scores a record high in the discharge of his duties. I pray he continues with his trailblazing moves of working and achieving more while talking less.

Mr. Olona Shakiru Tola a.k.a MC Peperenpe

The SU Social Secretary, Comrade Olona Shakiru Tola (a.k.a MC Peperenpe), is another executive sensation to behold. The cap of the office of Social Secretary truly fits this young man, especially from the standpoint of his skill as a talented stand-up comedian. He too, has taken social activities to unbelievable heights on the Unilorin campus.

With the advent of this rising comedy maestro, new acts have emerged and are being giving a platform to showcase their gifts and talents. This is due largely to the influence of MC Peperenpe who used his good office to make such things happen on campus.

Having said that, the 2017 edition of the Student Union Week was arguably not as widely felt as the 2016 edition. A recent vox pop conducted by UCJ UNILORIN clearly corroborates this assertion. MC Peperenpe was more concerned about comedy half hour and talent hunt shows than having a bigger and better SU Week than that of the immediate past administration. Obviously, the level of student participation in the week-long activities of the 2017 SU Week is way lower than the 2016 edition. The facts are there in the public domain for all to see.

Another disapproving action made by Mr. Peperenpe was his extreme lateness to the maiden edition of the 2017 SU Officials Media Chat. As a public office holder, it is irresponsible to place personal gains over and above public interest. The said event was meant to serve as a stock-taking session, whereby each member of the Central Executive Council and the principal members of the Senate Council gave account of their stewardship. It was at such an important event that the Social Secretary would decide to make his appearance at the eleventh hour.

The incidence was a litmus test of responsible leadership of which Mr. Peperenpe failed woefully. The whole scenario gives credence to the saying that a persons talent and gift will certainly take him/her to the top but character is what keeps the person there. Up till now, Mr. Peperenpe is yet to tender a public apology for his irresponsible conduct due to personal and political reasons.

Be that as it may, the SU dinner was truly better than the 2016 edition. The event witnessed new categories of improved awards, and the presence of a hip-hop artist, 9ce. The experience would remain evergreen to the mammoth crowd that attended the event.

Comrade Aremu Ademola Sikirula a.k.a Hezkay

Comrade Aremu Ademola Sikirula a.k.a Hezkay, may have done well in office but the infamous remark that he made during the SU Officials Media Chat brought him under heavy criticism by members of the panel and congressmen alike.

While he was exposed to a certain information displayed by a member of his constituency to the effect that the toilets in a given hostel were in a deplorable state, his response was rather alarming. According to him, he was unaware of such complaints and that not until complaints are brought to him, there was no way for him to know the happenings in the hostels at the College of Health Sciences.

In other words, his style of leadership is that which requires a formal complaint to be made before any affirmative action can be taken.
Such comment ought not to have been by a public servant, saying such only amounts to gross ineptitude and dereliction of duty.

Comrade Aderemi Temidayo Racheal a.k.a Mz Taymih

Comrade Aderemi Temidayo Racheal a.k.a Mz Taymih, has also done well in discharging her duties to the best of her ability. In comparison with life on the permanent campus, there is an obvious bridge on the gap that used to exist between COHS and PS.

However, members of her constituency are still in dire need of an effective and efficient transport system. As the foremost SU officials at the College of Health Sciences, I believe she ought to have done better.

SU Attorney-General

Mr. Oke Ridwan S.A.U. is an charismatic leader with many caps. His role is to give legal advice to members of the Central Executive Council especially the President. Beyond his legal advisory role, his handling of the publicity towards the SU Leadership Summit is highly commendable. I wish him well in his future endeavours.

Comrade Iromini Tohira Omolola a.k.a Purity

The SU Vice President (PS), Comrade Iromini Tohira Omolola a.k.a Purity, is one of the brains behind the success of the Eminent-led administration. She is effective in communication and confident in articulating her position on any subject matter. Her Women of Impact (WOI) initiative is also commendable in driving the cause of female students on campus and extending humanitarian gestures to the needy.

However, she also missed the golden opportunity of addressing the Sarah Omoye issue exhaustively as a female role model.

Another yardstick one can use to measure her level of success or otherwise, is the performance of her predecessor, Ummu. Her predecessor's feat remains unmatched. Ummu executed some laudable projects which had an impact on most students. For example, the Women of the 21st Century, an event she organized saw the likes of renowned female personalities like Mrs. Joke Silver Jacobs, Dr. Joe Odumakin, co-convener, Bring Back Our Girls Group, Mrs. Aisha, a female senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, etcetera. It is worthy to note that Ummu outsourced the funds needed to put such a colossal event together.

Ummu's health week was, to a great extent, successful. Students felt the impact generally. Purity's version however, was not as effective due largely to ineffective planning.

However, you cannot take her effectiveness to lead in the absence of the president. She made frantic efforts in giving student-entrepreneurs a chance to development through her partnership with the school's vocational center.

The question is, how many students enlisted for the scheme?

Comrade Shobowale David Lukman Olawale (a.k.a Eminent)

Comrade Shobowale David Lukman Olawale (a.k.a Eminent), would go down in the annals of history as arguably, the most diplomatic, and best President of Unilorin Student Union. His diplomatic acumen and approachable personality strike him as an astounding leader.

It is on record that he won the award as the Most Astounding Student Union President in Nigeria in 2017. It is worthy to note that Eminent has just been nominated, along two others, as the Students' Political Icon of the Year, in the ongoing Nigerian Universities Merit Awards (NUMA) Top Three Nominees.

His selfless nature is also not in doubt. He is witty and mature in action. One of the qualities that endears him in the hearts of students is his tolerant nature.
The SU/UCJ oratory contest is a good example of the above ascertion. The question is, how do you partner with those who criticize you regularly? To this end, therefore, Mr President scores a record high in terms of servant-leadership which is why he is a popular president.

The presidential slap saga clearly demonstrates the depth of Eminent's maturity and diplomatic skills in sustaining not only the Union, but also the stable academic calendar of the Better by Far varsity. Rather than retaliating, he decided to sheathe his sword for peace to reign. His action did not come as a surprise to some people who understood the overriding philosophy of the university system.

As mentioned earlier, diplomacy is a loose concept that has several meanings. It is catalytic in nature depending on the object of focus. Eminent has indeed done well and his achievements will surely endure in the sands of time. The kerosene depot is an acknowledgment of his untiring effort. Such should be sustained by the subsequent administration. The 2017 edition of the SU leadership summit, was monumentally successful. It sums up the mission statement and quality leadership of the Eminent-led administration.

The Unshakeable End

Generally, the Determination Unshakeable Team are star-studded with individual members blessed with different talents and gifts. They have raised the bars of leadership to such amazing height in that potential successors might find it very difficult to surpass.

This is indeed a student-friendly, and at the same time, a management-enabled administration; a perfect blend of two distinct worlds brought together by necessity.

Osuji Chima Francis is currently a student of law at the University of Ilorin, Kwara state; President, Union of Campus Journalists (UCJ) UNILORIN, and National Vice President, National Association of Nigerian Campus Editors (NANCE).

You can shoot him an email@: osujichima47@gmail.com
Or
Call him on his cellphone: 08036543643, 08097909404.
 

With the FIFA U-17 World Cup around the corner, Indian football underwent drastic changes from top to bottom in an attempt to become a footballing nation. 

A number of programs, carried out over the past few years as hosting such a huge event will require top facilities and mobility.

What will be more interesting is how India, as a team, shapes its path post the mega event, having experienced top-level football.

"There is a huge potential in India considering the volume in the population. You go in different states, there's a different quality.

I think football is really developing in India and of course with the help of the FIFA U-17 World Cup later this year.

This will create a lot of excitement among the kids to involve in the sport," says former Nigeria international, Rabiu Afolabi who was in Mumbai as a part of the Mission XI Mission festival, alongside Carles Puyol and sports minister Vijay Goel, for promoting the World Cup.

Despite the buzz about football in the country, there have been murmurs about the under-par standard of the sport, more importantly about the lack of development at the grassroots.

However, it may baffle a few thinking that how football is often considered as a minority in a country of 1.3 billion.

"India requires a lot of development in football, especially the grassroots. The platform is not really there for grassroots," points out the ex-Monaco defender.

Although India won't be the favourites going into the much-awaited event, but for many, what really matters is that the young team get some important experience by playing against some of the brightest upcoming talents, who could potentially become the next Cristiano Ronaldo's or the Lionel Messi's in the coming years.

Playing on the same field alongside top young players will not only indicate how prepared the Indian kids are but also highlight where the problems lie.

Moreover, Afolabi believes that scouting holds an important role in building a foundation for young talents. Scouting will open the gates for all the aspiring kids who feel the scope for football is scarce.

Enough opportunities at an early stage will make the task easier for the scouts to identify and help pick quality players from within.

"The talent is not really there because there is no platform. The infrastructure is not there too for the players. In India, we need to improve the infrastructure and invest in coaching program at the grassroots level. We need to scout and pick raw talents from every department of the country," reasons the 37-year-old.

Afolabi has seen how the Super Eagles have developed to become one of the powerhouses in Africa and also how grassroots initiatives helped in bringing out the best, not only on at the club level but also for the nation.

"In today's football, a lot of clubs in Europe, they invest more on grassroots and in their own products. You also need to have a lot of patience for the results to come.

Maybe in the next 10-15 years, they will be ahead of the game. All the money that they spend running grassroots courses, they will earn the money back," he signs off.

Afoguaranto,

UCJ, UNILORIN.

Arsenal football club, won the Emirate Cup challenge for 2017, by acquiring more points on goal.

The competition include four teams, from major leagues in Europe, lasted for two days.

The team involved in competition include, Benfica, Leipzig, Arsenal a d Sevilla.

Arsenal has now won five of the Nine Emirate Cup challenge.

UCJ, UNILORIN.

King Mohammed VI of Morocco, 🇲🇦 pardoned more than a thousand people who were under arrest for taking part in protests ⚔ in the troubled northern Rif region, the justice ministry announced.

The monarch pardoned a total of 1,178 detainees, including a number who had joined demonstrations in the northern port 🚢 city of al-Hoceima and surrounding area, the ministry said in a statement, issued shortly before King Mohammed made a televised 📺 speech to mark 18 years on the throne.

Seventy-two police officers were wounded by stones and 11 protesters were injured by tear gas 💣 used to break up the rally, the official news agency MAP reported, citing authorities in al-Hoceima.

UCJ, UNILORIN.

A suicide bomber 💣 killed 14 people in northeast Nigeria 🇳🇬, the state emergency agency, said.

In an attack ⚔ that bore the hallmarks of Boko Haram, days after a resurgence in the group's 👥 activities prompted a shift in military tactics.

The bomb 💣 detonated in Dikwa 🇳🇬, after entering a building housing people 🏫 who had previously fled an insurgency by Boko Haram and since returned, the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) said.

The attack ⚔ brings the number of people killed by fighters in northeast Nigeria🇳🇬 since June 1 to at least 113 and came days after suspected members of the group attacked ⚔ and kidnapped an oil prospecting team, prompting a rescue bid that ended in the deaths of at least 37 people, including members of the team and rescuers from the military and armed volunteers, officials say.

UCJ, UNILORIN.

US 🇺🇸 flown ✈️ two bomber jets 💣 over the Korean peninsula 🇰🇵 in a show of force after recent North Korean missile 🚀 tests, according to a US Air Force statement.

Saturday's move came after North Korea 🇰🇵 said it conducted another successful test, of an intercontinental ballistic missile 🚀(ICBM), that proved its ability to strike the US mainland, drawing a sharp warning from President Donald Trump.

The Korean Central News Agency said, that North Korean🇰🇵 leader Kim Jong-un expressed "great satisfaction" after the Hwasong-14 reached a maximum height of 3,725 kilometres and travelled 998 kilometres, before accurately landing in waters, off Japan.🇯🇵

UCJ, UNILORIN.

US says it carried out a successful test of its controversial anti-missile system and has flown B-1 bombers over the Korean peninsula.

Despite fierce objections from China, the US military begun installing the Thaad system in South Korea with the aim of shooting down any North Korean missiles fired at the South.

On Saturday, US President Donald Trump criticised China for not doing enough to stop Pyongyang's weapons programme while making "billions of dollars", in trade with North Korea.

But Victor Gao, a former diplomat and Chinese government adviser, said that Mr Trump's comments were unhelpful, adding that the US was acting like a "spoiled child".

Mr Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping discussed North Korea during talks earlier this year, after which US officials said the two countries were working on "a range of options" to rein in Pyongyang.

UCJ, UNILORIN.

A fake news report about Kenya's election, that is made to look as if it is from broadcaster CNN has been circulating on social media.

CNN posted online to confirm that the 📹video report is fake, while the BBC urged people to verify any stories claiming to be from the broadcaster by visiting the BBC website.

It also found that while traditional media remained the most trusted source of information, large numbers of people got their news from Facebook and WhatsApp.

The presidential election on 8⃣ August will see incumbent President Kenyatta run against 7⃣ candidates including his main challenger, opposition leader Raila Odinga.

While Kenya's 2013 elections passed relatively peacefully, there was serious post-election violence following the 2007 polls, which left over 1,000 people dead and 600,000 displaced from their homes😞

UCJ, UNILORIN.

Firefighters 🚒 in the Ohio, US 🇺🇸 rescued a woman who telephoned 911 about a boa constrictor stuck to her face‼️

An ambulance 🚑 was swiftly dispatched to the woman 👩🏻, who was found lying in her driveway in the town of Sheffield Lake with the snake around her neck.

"It was wrapped around her neck and biting her nose and wouldn't let go," fire 🚒 chief Tim Card said, according to the local Chronicle-Telegram.

Boa constrictors kill ⚔ their prey by gripping it so tightly that blood and oxygen can't reach the victim's vital organs.

A local reporter 📰 who visited the scene that afternoon found an empty glass cage on the pavement 🚦, and a small pool of blood on the driveway.

UCJ, UNILORIN.

Rapper, Remilekun Abdulkalid Safaru, aka Reminisce, achieved quite a lot with his music career.

However, the veteran artist is not entirely happy; he wishes he was a graduate.

He 🔈said that it is important to go to 🏫school, whether one goes into full-time music🎵 or not and that actually regretted not being a graduate.

He added that he always managed to keep his private life away from public eye and that in the future was thinking of entering politics as well as engaging in business.

UCJ, UNILORIN.

President of Zimbabwe Robert Mugabe, said he is neither stepping down nor dying.

The 93-year-old told Zimbabweans that there is no one with his political stature who can immediately take over from him.

He has been in charge in the former British colony since independence in 1980 and his health is closely watched by citizens who fear the country might face chaos if Mugabe dies without selecting a successor.

The Zimbabwean leader told tens of thousands of supporters at a rally in the town of Chinhoyi - in his home province - that if he had an ailment he would "go to the doctors like anyone else", but said his heart and liver were "very firm, very strong".

He has traveled to Singapore 3⃣ times this year for what officials say is routine medical treatment.

UCJ, UNILORIN.

At least 2⃣ people were killed and 17 injured in a crush at South Africa's biggest stadium

It was learnt that all gates at the stadium were opened to ensure crowd control and that the situation was later brought under control.

Live 📺television coverage of the match, which Kaizer Chiefs won 1-0, showed no obvious disturbance.

The stadium served as the venue for Nelson Mandela's first speech🔈 after his release from prison in 1990, and is where the memorial for Mr Mandela was held in 2013.

Readers may remember April 2001 when 43 supporters died in a crush during another ⚽match between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates at the Ellis Park stadium in Johannesburg.

UCJ, UNILORIN.

President Donald Trump prepares to sign the Russia sanctions legislation, which easily cleared Congress last week, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov threatened further retaliation against the US.

"If the US side decides to move further towards further deterioration, we will answer, we will respond in kind," Ryabkov said on ABC's "This Week."

Ryabkov's comments come after Russia demanded Friday that the United States cut its diplomatic staff in Russia and said it would seize two US diplomatic properties in a sharp response to the new sanctions bill.

The deputy foreign minister would not specify what Russia's plans for retaliation consist of, but said that the country has "a very rich toolbox at our disposal."

Tensions between Russia and the US over the sanctions bill come on the heels of the congressional investigations into Russian hacking into the 2016 election, which US intelligence services have said was an effort to influence the election in Trump's favor.

UCJ, UNILORIN.

Real Madrid manager, Zinedine Zidane insisted he is "not bothered," 3⃣-2⃣ friendly defeat to their La Liga rivals Barcelona in Miami.

Real Madrid went 2⃣ goals down inside 7⃣ minutes thanks to Lionel Messi and Ivan Rakitic, before Mateo Kovacic and Marco Asensio forced parity heading into half-time.

Gerard Pique grabbed Barca's clincher 5⃣ minutes after the restart, however, leaving Real winless after 3⃣ International Champions Cup🏆 games.

Zidane said that, this is pre-season and this loss doesn't alter anything. He added that the important thing was to be ready for August 8⃣ UEFA Super Cup 🏆 meeting with Manchester United

UCJ, UNILORIN.

The President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, said, devolution of power to states has not been foreclosed in the ongoing constitutional amendment exercise.

Saraki, 🔈 in Ilorin, that many senators were still consulting with their constituents on the issue.

He added that the clause on the devolution of power did not scale through because some of his colleagues misread, misunderstood or were suspicious of what the devolution was all about.

The senate president noted that the lawmakers who voted against it were not sure whether it was the same thing as restructuring.

UCJ, UNILORIN.

The President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, are ready to visit President Muhammadu Buhari if invited by the presidency, according to sources.

Sources say that the 2⃣ National Assembly leaders did not make any request before their previous visit to Buhari in London, United Kingdom.

It was gathered that some top leaders of the National Assembly had tried to visit the President, but it was unsuccessful.

Following the recent visits to the President in London, some of them have however been hopeful that they might be invited to see Buhari.

Some leaders of the ruling All Progressives Congress, including the party’s National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun; Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; and three state governors, Tanko Al-Makura (Nasarawa), Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna), and Yahaya Bello (Kogi), had visited the President in the British capital last Sunday.

On Wednesday, 7⃣ state governors also visited the President on the platform of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum.

UCJ, UNILORIN.

This comes 4⃣ days after the ambush and a day after Boko Haram released a 📹 video of 3⃣ of the abducted member of the oil exploration team.

A day after the incident, the Army said, the oil workers had been rescued.

However, the Director, Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Sani Usman, said the initial statement was regrettable.

He disclosed this in a fresh statement on Sunday, which revealed that 21 more bodies of those ambushed had been recovered.

Describing the ambush as “as unfortunate and highly regrettable”, Usman said his initial statement that all the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation workers abducted in the ambush had been rescued was wrong

UCJ, UNILORIN.

The Lagos State government commenced the demolition of illegal structure and shanties around the Obalende area of the state.

A task force team that stormed the area, said prior warnings including a 48-hour notice had been issued to the occupants. Some occupants, however, claimed that the notice was too short.

UCJ, UNILORIN.

There was a twist to the ambush of oil workers and some academics from the University of Maiduguri by Boko Haram, as a new video emerged purportedly of three of those abducted.

In the video, which has not been independently verified, 3⃣ men who said they were in the employ of the University of Maiduguri, appealed🙏 to the government for help.

Two of the men said they were lecturers in the Geology Department of the University and gave their names as Yusuf Ibrahim and Dr Solomon N. Yusuf. The third man identified himself as Haruna, adding that he was a driver with the university.

They also said they were part of the oil exploration team ambushed by Boko Haram on Tuesday (July 25), adding that the video was recorded today, July 28, 2017.

UCJ, UNILORIN.

The weekend shows some renewed vigour in Trump's tweets 🐦, with him complaining ever more so about the 51 majority vote in the Senate.

And just when we thought 💭 the MS 13 gang had taken the President's attention away from the world for a while, he's back with a blast. 💢 Oh, spot the pat-on-the-back tweet in the middle!

🐦 I am pleased to inform you that I have just named General/Secretary John F Kelly as White House Chief of Staff. He is a Great American 🇺🇸...and a Great Leader. John has also done a spectacular job at Homeland Security. He has been a true star 🌟 of my Administration.

On Friday afternoon, Trump ousted his Chief of Staff Reince Priebus following a week of tensions between him and head of communications Scaramucci. He announced his new chief, in signature Trump style, on Twitter. 🐦

🐦 I would like to thank Reince Priebus for his service and dedication to his country 🇺🇸. We accomplished a lot together and I am proud of him!

Oh, that's got to burn! 🔥

🐦 We will defend our country 🇺🇸, protect our communities 👩‍👩‍👧‍👦 and put the safety of the AMERICAN PEOPLE FIRST!

This is a part of Trump's speech 🔉 about the MS 13 gang and the administration's measures to curb violence 🔪 in Suffolk County, Long Island.

🐦 In other words, Russia was against Trump in the 2016 Election - and why not, I want strong military & low oil prices. Witch Hunt!

This tweet comes after Fox and Friends, trump's favourite show 🐦 tweets that the firm behind anti-trump dossier worked for Russia. 🇷🇺

🐦 Republican Senate must get rid ❌ of 60 vote NOW! It is killing🔪 the R Party, allows 8 Dems to control country. 200 Bills sit in Senate. A JOKE!

After the Senate rejected Trumpcare on Thursday night, Trump, of course has been rather upset since the 51 vote majority did not count for anything. So here he is, pushing for 60, a repetition of Friday's tweet. 🐦

🐦 The very outdated filibuster rule must go. Budget reconciliation is killing🔪 R's in Senate. Mitch M, go to 51 Votes NOW and WIN IT'S TIME! 🕐

No, we haven't moved on yet and doesn't look like we will for some time to come.

🐦 Republicans in the Senate will NEVER win if they don't go to a 51 vote majority NOW‼️ They look like fools and are just wasting time...8 Dems totally control the U.S. Senate. Many great Republican bills will never pass, like Kate's Law and complete Healthcare. Get smart!

And some more on getting the 51 vote majority. It almost looks like we will have dark days 🌚 ahead if this doesn't come through.

🐦 If the Senate Democrats ever got the chance, they would switch to a 51 majority vote in first minute. They are laughing at R's. MAKE CHANGE!

The only way to make anything work, according to the 🇺🇸 president, is through the 51 majority vote and he's upset that the Democrats may be laughing at the R's (republicans). Yes, we're still on this.

🐦 After seven years of "talking" Repeal & Replace, the people of our great country are still being forced to live with imploding ObamaCare!

There's a lot of tweets against Obamacare 🏥 with no suggestions on how to make it better.

🐦 If a new HealthCare Bill is not approved quickly, BAILOUTS for Insurance Companies and BAILOUTS for Members of Congress will end very soon!

Is that a threat?

🐦 U.S. Stock Market 📈 up almost 20% since Election!🇺🇸*

If you missed it before, here is the tweet 🐦 that's inserted to make 🇺🇸 President Trump feel a little better about his work. Look at this sudden change of topic.

🐦Unless the Republican Senators are total quitters, Repeal & Replace is not dead! Demand another vote before voting on any other bill!

Someone's still very angry. Trump is still against ❌ the Senate for failing in its second attempt to overhaul Obamacare 🏥 since left him with no legislative accomplishment to point to 6️⃣ months into his administration.

🐦 I love reading about all of the "geniuses" 💡 who were so instrumental in my election success. Problem is, most don't exist. ❌ FakeNews MAGA

Perhaps if he had actually shared an article 📰 or two about the geniuses we would actually know if they exist or at least, if he actually reads. And if you are wondering what the last word means, it's the acronym for Make America Great Again.

🐦 I am very disappointed in China🇨🇳. Our foolish past leaders have allowed them to make hundreds of billions of dollars 💰 a year in trade, yet.....they do NOTHING for us with North Korea, just talk. We will no longer allow this to continue. China could easily solve this problem!

After a jab at 'past leaders' and their mistakes, Trump talks about his frustration with China🇨🇳, after North Korea launched its second intercontinental ballistic missile in less than a month.

Since China is North Korea's ally, and Trump has suggested the country could play a key role in pressuring Pyongyang to end its nuclear program. ❌ He's also hinted at impatience with China's unwillingness to pull back on economic ties with its neighbour.

Source: Duta

UCJ, UNILORIN.

The episode gets straight to it with the first meeting of Daenerys Targareyan & Jon Snow.

Jon Snow & Davos are received at the beach by a familiar face in Tyrion Lannister. They set their eyes on Khaleesi's winged children flying over the castle en-route to meet her. When they finally meet Daenerys, Davos is irked by the fact she refers to the King of the North as Lord.

She expects Jon to kneel in front of her after proclaiming herself as the rightful heir to the iron throne. Jon promptly refuses✋. 
That sets the tone for the rest of the conversation even though Daenerys concedes that her father was an evil man👿.

Jon Snow requests her to forget about waging a war⚔ against King's Landing for the time being and help him defeat the Whitewalkers👻 or the army of the dead.

She doesn't accept and somehow the mother of dragons finds it difficult to believe that the undead😳 could exist.  

Jon and his entourage are asked to stay on the island for a while. Jon wonders if he is a prisoner⛓ and the queen clarifies: "not yet."

Daenerys receives news📜 that her ally, Theon Greyjoy and his ships have been captured. Tyrion implores🙏 her to make peace with Jon Snow as she has just lost an ally. He asks her to allow Snow to mine Dragonglass. Daenerys relents and gives Snow permission to take the Dragonglass.

 
Meanwhile, Euron Greyjoy parades Oberyn Martell's lover Ellaria Sand before presenting here to Cersei.

The queen imprisons Sand and her daughter. She poisons the daughter and leaves her to die a slow death in front of the mother.

Cersei feels all powerful and is no longer ashamed hide her relationship with her brother.

Bran Stark👁 visits the north and is reunited with his sister, Sansa. She tells him that he is the lord of Winterfell.

However, Bran refuses to accept that and reveals that he is the three eyed raven, much to the displeasure of Sansa.

 
Daenerys' army of the Unsullied, attack the'impregnable' Casterly Rock through the sewers, on the advice of Tyrion.

However, they encounter very little resistance as Cersei had already moved her army.

In the final scene, Jaime is seen leading an army towards the castle that houses Olenna Tyrell.

Jaime tells her that though his sister prefers a more painful death for the Queen of Thorns, he wishes her to die peacefully and offers her poison.  
Olenna Tyrell , taunts Jaime with the manner of her son's death before dying by drinking the poisoned redwyne.

In other news, Samwell Tarly's painful antidote has the desired effect and cures Jorah of his sickness. However, he is made to do lines✍ for disobeying orders.

UCJ, UNILORIN.

Facebook's chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg, in an interview for BBC Radio 📻 4's Desert Island Discs, said the first step towards stronger policies for women is to "start paying women well".

Ms Sandberg admitted, she struggled with self-doubt at Harvard and recognised that women more than men underestimated their own worth, preventing them from putting themselves forward or asking for a pay rise.

She said: "We start telling little girls not to lead at a really young age and we start to tell boys [to] lead at a very young age. That is a mistake.❌ I believe everyone has inside them the ability to lead and we should let people choose that not based on their gender but on who they are and who they want to be."

UCJ, UNILORIN.

Iran 🇮🇷 vowed to press ahead with its missile 🚀 programme, denouncing new US 🇺🇸 sanctions as "an effort to weaken the nuclear deal".

Iranian state TV 📺 reported that, the country's 🇮🇷 parliamentary committee on national security and foreign policy held an urgent meeting to review its response to a package of sanctions approved by the US Senate.🇺🇸

"It is imperative that we show an appropriate reaction in light of such hostile and vicious actions taken by the United States 🇺🇸," Abbas Araghchi, Iran's deputy minister and senior Iranian negotiator, told reporters. 📰

UCJ, UNILORIN.

The House took largely the same position as the Senate, which voted on its own amendments on Wednesday.

But some of striking differences included an amendment to give 35 per cent of ministerial slots to women.

However, the Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Abdulrazak Namdas, told reporters that any amendment that failed in either of the chambers had failed automatically.

He said the House went ahead to vote differently on some items to make Nigerians know its position on the proposals.
“We have a bi- camera legislature and on this matter of the constitution, whatever we reject , that passed in the Senate , stands rejected.“In the same way, any item rejected by Senate and passed by the House has failed automatically. But Nigerians must know where we stand, ” he stated.

The amendments were proposed by the House Ad Hoc Committee on Constitution Review chaired by the Deputy Speaker , Mr . Yussuff Lasun .

The House voted to amend Section 147 of the constitution to approve that ministers must be appointed “within 30 days after the date the President has taken the oath of office.”

In sub- section ( c ), the House approved that “at least 35 per cent of persons appointed as ministers shall be women.”
A total of 248 members voted in support of the amendment while 48 opposed it and one abstained.

But a proposal for women to be accepted as indigenes in both their states of origin and those of their husbands failed.

A total of 208 members supported the amendment while 78 opposed it. However , the 208 was not up to the required 240 two - thirds majority provided in the constitution to pass it.

The House, unlike the Senate, rejected the appointment of a minister from the Federal Capital Territory. On many other proposals, the House took the same position as the Senate.
For example, the House rejected devolution of powers; approved independent candidacy for elections; autonomy for local government councils; autonomy for state legislature; and immunity for members of the National Assembly.

On devolution of powers, 210 members voted to support it while 71 opposed it, with eight abstaining. However , the proposal failed to pass the amendment because 210 was below the required 240 votes.

On autonomy for local governments, 281 members voted to approve it, while 12 were against it. One member abstained.

Lawmakers voted 288 to support immunity for members of the legislature “in respect of words spoken or written at plenary sessions or committee proceedings.”

On the votes for independent candidacy, 275 members approved it while 14 kicked against it. There was one abstention.

A total of 292 members voted in support of the proposal on restriction of tenure of office of the President and governor.

The proposal is a ‘A Bill for an Act to alter the provisions of the constitution to disqualify a person who was sworn - in as President or Governor to complete the term of elected President or Governor from being elected to the same office for more than a single term, and for related matters’.

This amendment was proposed to prevent a repeat of the scenario involving former President Goodluck Jonathan and the late President Umar Yar’Aua. Jonathan had completed Yar ’Adua’s remaining term when he died in 2010 and also contested the presidential election in 2011.

There were several incidents of rowdiness on Thursday, putting pressure on the Speaker, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, to restore order.

One of such instances was when lawmakers attempted to reject the proposal on reduction of age qualification for presidential and governorship aspirants.

Better known as ‘Not Too Young to Run’ bill, it seeks to reduce the age qualification for presidential aspirants to 35 years and governors, 30 years.

It also recommends 25 years for members of the House of Representatives and State Houses of Assembly.

Although the Senate had passed the bill on Wednesday, some members in the lower House moved to reject it on Thursday.

As the plot to reject the bill leaked on the floor, some of the younger members broke out in a song , chanting “not too young to run”, “not too young to run.”

Sensing trouble, the House Majority Leader, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, appealed to members to pass the bill to send a message to younger Nigerians that they had a space in the political space. “Please, let us support this bill. For nothing, let us send a message to our people out there that we are with them,” he stated as the chanting continued.

When the voting took place eventually, 261 lawmakers endorsed it while 23 voted against it.

Earlier before voting commenced, a member from Osun State, Prof. Mojeed Alabi, tried to halt the process by saying that the House was progressing in error.

Alabi stood up to raise a point of order while Lasun, a fellow Osun lawmaker, was
given the floor to present the amendments for voting.

But Dogara quickly corrected him that the House had long passed the stage he was quoting. “You are taking us back. We passed this stage long time ago . We have held hearings on the constitution and we are now at the point of voting. “You are completely out of order . Take your seat,” Dogara added.

Source: http://www.opulentblog.com/2017/07/you-are-completely-out-of-order-take.html?m=1

Akeukanwo Sulaiman Abiodun.

UCJ UNILORIN.

The House took largely the same position as the Senate, which voted on its own amendments on Wednesday.

But some of striking differences included an amendment to give 35 per cent of ministerial slots to women.

However, the Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Abdulrazak Namdas, told reporters that any amendment that failed in either of the chambers had failed automatically.

He said the House went ahead to vote differently on some items to make Nigerians know its position on the proposals.
“We have a bi- camera legislature and on this matter of the constitution, whatever we reject , that passed in the Senate , stands rejected.“In the same way, any item rejected by Senate and passed by the House has failed automatically. But Nigerians must know where we stand, ” he stated.

The amendments were proposed by the House Ad Hoc Committee on Constitution Review chaired by the Deputy Speaker , Mr . Yussuff Lasun .

The House voted to amend Section 147 of the constitution to approve that ministers must be appointed “within 30 days after the date the President has taken the oath of office.”

In sub- section ( c ), the House approved that “at least 35 per cent of persons appointed as ministers shall be women.”
A total of 248 members voted in support of the amendment while 48 opposed it and one abstained.

But a proposal for women to be accepted as indigenes in both their states of origin and those of their husbands failed.

A total of 208 members supported the amendment while 78 opposed it. However , the 208 was not up to the required 240 two - thirds majority provided in the constitution to pass it.

The House, unlike the Senate, rejected the appointment of a minister from the Federal Capital Territory. On many other proposals, the House took the same position as the Senate.
For example, the House rejected devolution of powers; approved independent candidacy for elections; autonomy for local government councils; autonomy for state legislature; and immunity for members of the National Assembly.

On devolution of powers, 210 members voted to support it while 71 opposed it, with eight abstaining. However , the proposal failed to pass the amendment because 210 was below the required 240 votes.

On autonomy for local governments, 281 members voted to approve it, while 12 were against it. One member abstained.

Lawmakers voted 288 to support immunity for members of the legislature “in respect of words spoken or written at plenary sessions or committee proceedings.”

On the votes for independent candidacy, 275 members approved it while 14 kicked against it. There was one abstention.

A total of 292 members voted in support of the proposal on restriction of tenure of office of the President and governor.

The proposal is a ‘A Bill for an Act to alter the provisions of the constitution to disqualify a person who was sworn - in as President or Governor to complete the term of elected President or Governor from being elected to the same office for more than a single term, and for related matters’.

This amendment was proposed to prevent a repeat of the scenario involving former President Goodluck Jonathan and the late President Umar Yar’Aua. Jonathan had completed Yar ’Adua’s remaining term when he died in 2010 and also contested the presidential election in 2011.

There were several incidents of rowdiness on Thursday, putting pressure on the Speaker, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, to restore order.

One of such instances was when lawmakers attempted to reject the proposal on reduction of age qualification for presidential and governorship aspirants.

Better known as ‘Not Too Young to Run’ bill, it seeks to reduce the age qualification for presidential aspirants to 35 years and governors, 30 years.

It also recommends 25 years for members of the House of Representatives and State Houses of Assembly.

Although the Senate had passed the bill on Wednesday, some members in the lower House moved to reject it on Thursday.

As the plot to reject the bill leaked on the floor, some of the younger members broke out in a song , chanting “not too young to run”, “not too young to run.”

Sensing trouble, the House Majority Leader, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, appealed to members to pass the bill to send a message to younger Nigerians that they had a space in the political space. “Please, let us support this bill. For nothing, let us send a message to our people out there that we are with them,” he stated as the chanting continued.

When the voting took place eventually, 261 lawmakers endorsed it while 23 voted against it.

Earlier before voting commenced, a member from Osun State, Prof. Mojeed Alabi, tried to halt the process by saying that the House was progressing in error.

Alabi stood up to raise a point of order while Lasun, a fellow Osun lawmaker, was
given the floor to present the amendments for voting.

But Dogara quickly corrected him that the House had long passed the stage he was quoting. “You are taking us back. We passed this stage long time ago . We have held hearings on the constitution and we are now at the point of voting. “You are completely out of order . Take your seat,” Dogara added.

Source: http://www.opulentblog.com/2017/07/you-are-completely-out-of-order-take.html?m=1

Akeukanwo Sulaiman Abiodun.

UCJ UNILORIN.