Ukraine’s Donetsk region asking to Join Russia,
Separatists leader says
A separatists leader
declared Monday that eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region was not independent, but
also would ask to join Russia, a day after referendum organizers claim voters
in the region chose to break away from Kiev.
Dennis Pushilin, a self
declared leader of the Donetsk People’s Republic, told a crowd that no further
referendum was needed to ask Russia to annex it.
Pro-Russia separatists held
a referendum Sunday asking residents of the Donetsk region whether it should
declare independence from Ukraine. Nearly 90% of voters in the area favoured
secession, an election official said Monday.
A similar question was put
to voters in Lahansk, preliminary results were expected Monday, official said.
Neither Ukraine’s government
nor the European Union immediately reacted to Pushilin’s overturn to Russia,
though both dismissed Sunday votes.
“This propagandist farce
will not have any legal consequences, only criminal responsibility of its
organizers” acting Ukrainian President Oleksandr Turchynov said in a statement.
“That farce the terrorists
call a referendum is nothing else but a propagandist cover for killings,
kidnapping, violence and other grave crimes“ he said.
He reiterated that his
government will continue fighting against “terrorist, saboteurs and criminals”
but will negotiate with those in eastern Ukraine “who do not have blood on
their hands and those who are ready to defend their goals and beliefs in a
legal way.
A vote for the autonomy is a
vote for self destruction of the east, Turchynov has said.
It would cut residents off
from the national economy and social programs, he said. “It is a step (to)
nowhere for these regions. It is euphoria that may lead to very complex
consequences, and many people can already feel them.
NATIONAL
STORY
President
Jonathan Rejects Swapping Boko Haram Prisoners for Kidnapped Schoolgirls
Barely hours after it was
reported that Nigeria terror group, Boko Haram, who kidnapped more than 200
schoolgirls in Chibok Borno State are seeking a prisoner swap for jailed comrades,
the Federal Government of Nigeria have allegedly said that it won’t swap Boko
Haram prisoners for abducted schoolgirls.
Earlier yesterday, the
terrorist groped released a new video message in which they purported to show
some of the hundreds of girls they have captured from a town in the north-east
of the country.
Abubakar Shekau, the leader
of the militant group also said that the girls has been converted to Islam
while in captivity, which he referred to as “liberation”.
The 17-minute video, obtained
showed around 100 girls wearing full veils and reportedly praying in an
undisclosed location.
In a separate part of the
video, Shekau said that the girls would remain captive until the Nigerian
government releases all imprisoned Boko Haram militants.
When asked if the government
would reject any offer of a deal in exchange for prisoners, interior minister,
Abba Moro said “of course”. He said; “the issue in question is not about Boko
Haram giving conditions”.
The video has raised further
concerns that the girls have now been split up into a number of groups across a
remote stretch of Nigeria, as well as fears some have been smuggled out of the
country.
The Nigerian government has
previously said it will not “pay ransom” to get the girls back and on Thursday,
the president, Goodluck Jonathan vowed that he would make the incident “the
beginning of the end” of terror in the country.
Three girls were reported to
have appeared individually in the videos with one of them saying that they had
not been harmed by their captor.
LOCAL STORIES
(i)
EBONYI STATE
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, IKWO MATRICULATES OVER 750 STUDENTS
…to
be affiliated to the state university for the award of degree
…State
government promise to complete perimeter fencing of the school.
The
Ebonyi State College of Education, Ikwo on Saturday, 10th May, 2014
matriculated over 750 students into the various school of the college to pursue
careers in different courses for the Award of National Certificate on
Education, NCE
In
his speech during the ceremony, the state governor, Chief Martin Elechi said
that the State Government is to complete the perimeter fencing of the school in
no distant time.
He
further stated that the state government is also considering landscaping the
college to beef up its aesthetic value, while it is considering as priority the
construction of accommodation for the Provost and staff of the college.
Appreciating
the industrial relationship exiting between the college management and staff of
the college, Governor Elechi urged the fresh students to work hard to abide by
the matriculation oath they took and never be carried away by the frenzy of
being in a tertiary institution.
Governor
Elechi represented by his Personal Assistant on Higher Education, Prof. Mike
Otuma assured that the state government would not waste time to implement all
it takes for the college to affiliate to the state university to award degrees.
The
Provost of the college, Prof. Silas Omebe appreciated the academic height the
college has attained and appreciated the state Governor, Chief Martin Elechi
for all his support to the college.
Prof.
Omebe urged the fresh students to abide by the rules and regulations of the
college which he said has zero tolerance policy for anti-social activities
noting that the process of affiliation with the state university was
progressing but needs government attention.
In
his part, the state Commissioner for Education, Prince Ndubuisi Chibueze Agbo
represented by Mr. John Ijere commended the college management for proper
utilization of funds given to the institution and urged the students to study
hard as future teachers.
The
Vice Chancellor of Federal University, Ndufu-Alike Ikwo, Prof. Ibidapo Obe
represented by Mr. Afam Ituma and Mr. Macs Nnaji of the Nigeria Union of
Teachers, assured of collaboration with the college as partners in educational
development of youths and urged the students to pay attention to knowledge
acquisition and skill development.
Some
of the matriculating students including Master James Igwe and Miss Esther
Igboke assured that they would abide by the rules and regulations of the
college and be of good behaviour.
High
points of the ceremony were taking of the matriculation oath and performance by
the college cultural troop as well as corps members.
(ii)
BE VERY VIGILANT: POLICE ADVICE EBONYI RESIDENCE
Ebonyi
State Police Command want the public to be extra vigilant and more security
conscious by observing security tips that will go a long way towards preventing
incidences of kidnapping, armed robbery, terrorists attack and other forms of
heinous crimes.
A
release signed by the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Chris Anyanwu
gave hints on personal protection, routes and movement, suggested behaviours in
case of armed robbery or kidnap attack and bomb tips.
The
release urges members of the public to only chose a residential apartment with
perimeter fencing within a neighbourhood where people live closely and put
burglary proof at all doors and windows and if affordable an alarm system
activated by intrusion detective device.
It
advises people not to admit visitors without proper identification and to have
a peephole in the door stating that sensitive information and detailed travel
arrangement should not be discussed to the hearing of house helps or untrusted
neighbours, friends and relatives.
The
police also want the public to be alert to persons disguised as public utility
workers and to maintain friendly relationship with neighbours and have each
other’s phone numbers.
While
advising that household members should not admit strangers or divulge information
to them or accept packages from them unless they are certain of the source, it
urges all to maintain current security agencies distress call numbers and make
them easily available.
It
gave the numbers to include: 08138729707;
08039364801; 08160172049 and 07064515001.
CAMPUS STORIES
(ii)
RESIDENCE OF ISHIEKE CAMPUS DECRY LOW
POWER SUPLY
The people residing at the
Ishieke Campus of the Ebonyi State University has decried low power supply
which according to them has made life miserable.
When our reporter visited
the area, it was observed that God’s Own Lodge area has been in total black out
for the past one week. A residence of the area, Angela Ude said “it has been up
to a week that they saw power supply from the public power source”. She went
further to lament that at times, when they see, it was always low voltage
popularly called “low current”. She stated that this affects the residence
badly in the area of ironing of their cloths, reading in the night and charging
of their phones. She stressed that they now rely on commercial phone charging
operators who collects between N30 – N70 to charge their phone.
She implored the Enugu
Electricity Power Distribution Company to come to their aid as this unfortunate
situation hampers their activeness in academic performance.
Also, James Odo of Shalom
hostel said that he now depend on dry cleaners to iron his cloth since he
cannot wear a rumpled cloth to school. He further said that the dry cleaners
charges between N200 and N250 to iron a cloth depending on the materials. He went
ahead to say that this hampers his economic wellbeing as the little money being
given to him by his parents is not always enough for his upkeep talk more of
patronizing dry cleaners.
On the government lodge axis
of the residential area, the story is not different as our reporter saw a cue
of about 15 persons charging their phone in one of the students room who have
“I pass my neighbour” power generating set. When he was quizzed on the current
situation, Akunna Okeke of the Department of Banking and Finance said that she
cannot stay without her phone powered and as such will do anything humanly
possible to ensure that it is always charged, hence the option of charging it
on her neighbour’s room.
The business operators are not
spared in the menace. One of the them Mr. Sunday Ugbala who owns a computer
centre said that due to the power problem, they spend a lot of money buying
fuel. He also said that students abscond from typing and photocopying their
documents pending when there is power supply from the public power source which
is cheaper.
Effort to contact the
operation manager of Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDU), Ishieke
unit proved abortive.
(ii)
HOUSE RENT SKYROCKETS IN EBSU CAMPUSES
…As
landlords blame it on cost of building material
House rent in the four campuses
that made up Ebonyi State University has risen unimaginably. A visit to the
campuses show that landlords have turned to shylocks cutting the flesh of the
students.
In CAS campus of the university,
a student residing at Dominus Lodge who does not want his name in print said
that there house rent was fourty thousand naira (N40,000) per apartment which
is a self contain, but after some time, the landlord issued a notice to all the
occupants that the house rent has been increased to sixty thousand naira
(N60,000). He went further to state that the students mobilized and met the
landlord who said that the issue is not in his power that the house and the
issue of renting is in the hand of a law chamber. This according to him made so
many students to look for alternative accommodation as they are unable to pay
while the well to do once continued to stay.
At the presco campus, an
investigation show that St. Cecelia hostel located close to umuoghara which
does not have source of portable water, that the occupants pay fifty thousand
naira (N50,000). This is because it is far from the school and if the reverse
has turned out to be the case, it should have been eighty thousand naira
(N80,000). Rumours has it that the landlord want to do a minor renovation in
his bid to increase the house rent.
The story is not different
at the Ishieke campus. At Shalom hostel for instance, the landlord increased
the house rent from twenty five thousand naira (N25,000) to a whooping forty
thousand naira (N40,000). The most embarrassing part of it is that the hostel
in question is not self contain rather “face me I face you” type of apartment.
This made some students residing in the area to look for alternative while the
final years students lodge there complain at the Human Right Commission
Abakaliki. The case was later resolved that the final year students should be
allowed to finish their exams. This means that if you cannot afford the money
and you are not in your final years, you will pack out. This led to mass exodus
of the occupants which up till now, the lodge is virtually empty and grasses
are gradually taking over as tenants.
The only area that has a
different story is the permanent site axis. This is because there is no much
lodge for students. The few are family houses converted as a result of
circumstances and necessity to student lodge.
Speaking on the alarming
situation, the Student Union Government President, Comr. James Ogbunkwu blamed
the situation on lack of school hostel which according to him will soon be
history as the state government is constructing a mega hostel that will contain
all the students of the institution.
One of the landlords
responded to a question put to him on this context by saying that it is as a
result of cost of building materials and maintenance.
FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCE
DEPARTMENT OF MASS COMMUNICATION
COURSE TITLE: ADVANCED NEWSPAPER EDITING
AND PRODUCTION
COURSE CODE: MAC 431
QUESTION:
WRITE ONE FOREIGN, ONE NATIONAL, TWO
LOCAL AND TWO CAMPUS NEWS STORIES.