Mum left with £50,000 debt after 'tenants from hell' destroyed her property and threatened her

A single mum has shared shocking images of extensive damage to her Spanish home after she claims squatters left her with £50,000 debt.

Helen France, 46, from Rotherham, claims her dream Spanish property in Alicante became a "living nightmare" when she got her property back from squatters to discover extensive damage.

The home owner claims she initially lost £10,000 on unpaid rent and bills, solicitors fees and damage to her property.

However, she says that since her house was returned, her debts have grown.

Ms France said that the "tenants from hell" entered her home last year, but have now left.

But the extent of damage means the single mum-of-one may have to lose the property completely destroying her dreams of one day moving there permanently.

She purchased the property in the Orihuela province in the Spanish resort in December 2015, initially using it as a holiday home before she decided to let it out in January 2018 to save enough money to enable her to move there permanently.

She purchased the home abroad with her life savings and intended it to be a place of solace and eventually inheritance to gift to her daughter Hope, 21.

However, the mum claims her dreams have turned to dust after the tenants destroyed her home - throwing furniture out of windows, breaking walls and flooring and accumulating unpaid electricity bills of more than 250 euros per month.

Ms France moved to Alicante full-time in December last year and assumed she could move into the property, but claims months of eviction notices went ignored and she claims physical threats were made against her.

"They threatened to kill me, even leaving a knife wedged in the sofa with a threat on my life," she said.

"The entire situation has left me beyond heartbroken - the house isn't even habitable at the moment.

"I've always been independent but this situation - it's truly brought me to my knees.

"I was a trusting person, but I lost everything.

"I was even put on medication as I was anxious, battling depression, all whilst trying to live the dream I'd saved up for for so long."

The single mum said that her lawyer and letting agent have reach dead ends against Spanish law because of its protection for tenants, which has left her no option but to put the eviction notice through the courts at her own expense.

The touching story of baby born with no eyes and abandoned my mom who now needs a home

A 'smiley' baby boy born without eyes is in search of a loving home after being abandoned by his young mother.

Little Alexander K - known as Sasha - is otherwise healthy but will never see due to a rare condition that only two other babies in the world have.

His mum was raised in an orphanage and decided before his birth to give him up because she did not feel confident at being able to provide the help he would need.

A nurse who is now caring for the six-month-old tot said: “He is no different to other children, he plays and smiles just like any healthy baby.

“He loves playing and adores swimming.

"He is a very cheerful baby indeed.”

Enchanting Sasha is described as ‘unique’ because most babies born with the condition also have multiple other ailments.

The Russian boy has two benign cysts on his forehead, which soon will be removed.

He is believed to suffer in extreme form from rare SOX2 anophthalmia syndrome which afflicts one in a quarter of a million.

Russian medics say Sasha is one of only three babies registered in the world with no eyeballs at all.

Tomsk doctor Tatiana Rudnikovich said: “Sasha is going through all regular check ups and tests like any other baby of his age.

“He is doing well.”

However, medics say there is currently "no chance” that Sasha will ever see.

His adoption listing says the boy is “a peaceful, smiling baby”.

“He smiles back as soon as he hears familiar voices.

“His mother signed his refusal papers in the maternity hospital.

“There is no information about Alexander’s father and there is a ‘dash’ in his birth certificate where it should have been a name of the father.

“Alexander is up for adoption or foster care.”

The child is initially up for adoption with Russian parents but if no-one suitable comes forward, he could go to foreign parents.

KANYE WEST ANNOUNCES A NEW ‘JESUS IS KING’ RELEASE DATE, “I’M MAKING IT BETTER FOR Y'ALL”

Yesterday, Kanye West held a Jesus Is King listening at George Washington University, where he reportedly told fans that his long-awaited album is slated to arrive on October 25.

Reportedly, Ye admitted he had pushed back the album because “I’m making it better for ya’ll.” While no video of of that moment from the event has surfaced as of yet, various attendees have confirmed the announcement on twitter.




Jesus Is King was expected to arrive on September 27, but was then pushed back to September 29 before it was delayed indefinitely.

After the listening party, Kanye brought his Sunday Service to Howard University, which is celebrating its homecoming this weekend. During the event the rapper spoke on a number of issues including social media, criminal justice and once again expressed his politically polarizing views.

“You don’t always have to agree with me,” he told the crowd, “but if they throw the slave nets again, how about we don’t all stand in the exact same place?” His comments have been met with criticism, especially since Howard is a historically black university.


Last week Kanye brought his Sunday Service to Salt Lake City and gave a similar politically-charged speech, expressing some controversial views on slavery.

HOW UNILORIN LECTURER RAPED 17-YEAR- OLD STUDENT; VARSITY YET TO ACT

The 17-year-old student of the University of Ilorin said she had asked her lecturer for help on two occasions.

The first time, she requested assistance with signing her course form after she became frustrated with the official responsible for authenticating the document. Later, she spoke to him about her inability to pay for a matriculation gown at a crowded campus bank.

The Arts Education teacher, introduced by a graduate friend to help keep an eye on her academic progress, never asked for a romantic relationship nor propositioned her, the 200 level student said.

Then, one day in February this year, the man locked his office while she was still inside, pushed her to a table and raped her. The man covered her mouth to stifle screams and later left her alone in the office after the encounter.

The accused staff, Solomon Olowookere, a senior lecturer, denied the allegations. He said he had helped the student multiple times but denied there was any possibility of a sexual incident between them. Mr Olowookere said the story was made-up.

But multiple interviews with senior university officials, including the head of Department of Arts Education, the dean of Faculty of Education and the dean of Students’ Affairs, confirmed the attack occurred.

The officials said Mr Olowookere had admitted to them he assaulted the girl and had pleaded for help, but later changed his testimony. They said in committing the act, the lecturer abused his position further by increasing the student’s test score as compensation.

The interviews, conducted by a panel set up by the university to review the case, formed the basis for a recommendation the lecturer be dismissed. Two months after the report, seen by PREMIUM TIMES, was submitted to the authorities, the university is yet to act, either by adopting or rejecting it. The lecturer has also remained in the employment of the institution.

23-year-old stabs step mum to death in Lafia

A 23-year-old Ahmed Abdullahi has allegedly stabbed his step mum to death with a knife.

The sad incident happened in Agyaragu area of Lafia, the capital of Nasarawa State on Friday night.

Eyewitnesses account revealed that he borrowed a knife from the neighbourhood and cut her on the leg.

She was said to have run out of their house shouting for help when he hit her to the ground after which she fell to the ground in panic.


According to sources he took his time and slit her throat.

She was rushed to the hospital where she was confirmed dead.

Similarly, mother of the alleged suspect ran away to safety when children of the deceased reportedly armed themselves and wanted to avenge the death of their mother

Police Public Relations Officer, ASP, Ramhan Nansel confirmed that the suspect has been arrested and investigation had begun.

FLOOD SUBMERGED FOUR COMMUNITIES IN OBIANO'S COUNCIL AREA

Four Communities in Governor Willie Obiano’s Anambra East local government area have been submerged by flood with residents losing millions.

The communities are Mkpunando, Eziagulu Otu, Umundeze and Enugu otu

As a result, the Governor has met with members of the State Emergency Management Agency SEMA, the Nigerian Red Cross Society, the Navy among others to look for ways of getting it right in those flooded areas.



Some of the residents had raised the alarm that if nothing was done by the state government urgently, communities would be as good as forgotten.

One of the displaced persons, Mr Izuchukwu Nnoli, pleaded with Government to come to their aid as the flood had taken over their homes and farmlands.

According to him:“This 2019 flood is a terrible experience. I call on the state government to do something about the flooding because farming is our only source of livelihood,’’

However, the State Government, had pledged immediate attention to persons displaced as a result of 2019 flooding in the coastal areas across the state.
In his meeting with the agencies at his home town, Aguleri at the weekend, Obiano said his government would do everything within its capacity to ensure that health and food needed of the displaced persons were made available

He gave the directive to all relevant agencies to ensure that transportation facilities were in place for immediate evacuation of those trapped in flooded areas.

Obiano said: “All medical personnel will also be on ground to assist in avoiding diarrhea outbreak. Food and clean water will be available for all too”

Executive Director, SEMA, Mr Cyril Agupugo briefed the governor on the happenings in Enugu Otu, Eziagulu Otu, Mkpunando and Umundeze communities in Anambra East LGA.


He said the current situation in the communities were scary as most of the houses were completely submerged.

“These areas are underwater with victims’ farmlands and household items worth millions of naira and they are calling for government’s immediate intervention,” he said.

The Transition Committee Chairman, Anambra East Council Area , Mr Obi Nweke urged the displaced persons not to panic and lose hope but to trust in God as help was underway.

“I believe things will be better in no distant time. Life is most important now as you can still re-acquire your lost property.

“When the flood becomes too much, we have no other option than to evacuate to safer places until water recedes then you can move back to your houses,” Nweke said.

While thanking the state government and SEMA, Nweke re-assured the displaced persons of immediate intervention by Government and in any little way he could also help.

CANCER AWARENESS: MEN ARE NOT EXEMPTED FROM BREAST CANCER SCREENING, SAYS ONCOLOGIST

 Abayomi disclosed this in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

The Oncologist said that even though men do not develop milk-producing breasts, their breast cells and tissues could still develop cancer.


“Breast Cancer in Men is real. Many people don’t know that men can get breast cancer because they don’t think of man as having breasts.

“Admittedly, the occurrence of breast cancer in male subjects is quite rare with a 1 in 1,000 ratio compared to the 1 in 8 in women.

“Men who are afflicted with this type of cancer are less likely to survive the disease than women,” he said.

Abayomi said that currently, knowledge on the causes of breast cancer was not sufficient; therefore, early detection of the disease remained the cornerstone of breast cancer control.

“When breast cancer is detected early, and if adequate diagnosis and treatment are available, there is a good chance that breast cancer can be cured.

“If detected late, however, curative treatment is often no longer an option; in such cases, palliative care to relieve the suffering of patients and their families is needed.’’


He urged Nigerians not to be scared to get screened, stating that it was the cheapest way to identify and manage cancer.

According to Abayomi, breast screening process takes just 20 minutes and that can help to change one’s lifestyle for the better.

The Oncologist said that if anyone was concerned about developing breast cancer, they might be wondering if there were steps they could take to help prevent the disease.



He said that while risk factors like genetics and age could not be avoided, measures could be taken to lower risk of breast cancer, mainly by staying healthy.


Quoting Hippocrates of 400 BC, “Let thy food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food’’, Abayomi said: “and still so relevant today; prevention is key.’’

NAN reports that breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in women worldwide, both in developed and developing countries.

In low and middle-income countries, the incidence has continued to rise steadily due to increase in life expectancy and urbanisation, among other factors.

EX-BBNAIJA HOUSEMATE, MIKE FINALLY MEETS MC OLUOMO IN LAGOS

Big Brother Naija first runner up, Mike Edward, and his wife, Perri Shakes- Drayton have paid an appreciation visit to MC Oluomo for his support while Mike was in the house.



MC Oluomo was one of Mike’s dedicated fans who rallied behind him during the final weeks of the show.

Sanwo-Olu’s wife to set up endowment fund for babies surgery

Lagos State First Lady, Dr. (Mrs.) Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu has said plans are underway for an Endowment Fund to defray the cost of pediatric surgeries for needy babies of Ayinke House at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja.

She spoke during a courtesy visit to LASUTH on Saturday as part of activities heralding the 2019 National Women Conference organised by the Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO). Dr Sanwo-Olu is the Chairman of the Committee.

The first lady said it was important to make the right investment in healthcare delivery to play up the health of the people, and also support the needy.


According to her, the present administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu had already identified healthcare as a major sector to be massively supported in line with efforts to ensure a greater Lagos.

“We decided to do our CSR here; this is Ayinke House in LASUTH. We are hoping that we would send the message down to the people that there is need for us to invest in our patients, as well as invest in our doctors and nurses so that they can deliver good healthcare to our people in Lagos State which is one of the key pillars of the development agenda of the government of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for a greater Lagos.

“We have come here and we have identified something we can take up as our project and that is endowment fund for the Pediatric Surgeries that are being done here. Already, the Lagos State Government is doing 0-12 free healthcare for children but we need to also partner with them for the endowment fund and encourage a lot of people to also partner with us.”

Benue State Polytechnic lecturer arraigned for allegedly r3ping a 13-year old girl to death

Senior lecturer with Benue Sate Polytechnic Ugbokolo Andrew Ogbuja has been arraigned before a state High Court in Makurdi for allegedly r-ping a 13-year-old girl, Ochanya Ogbanje to death.

Ogbuja’s arraignment came nearly a year after Ochanya’s death on October 17, 2018 from complications said to have resulted from her prolonged r-pe by him and his son, Victor, who is now at large.

The accused who was arraigned before Justice Augustine Ityonyiman of the State High Court 9, however pleaded not guilty when the four-count charge bordering on r-pe and murder was read to him.

The prosecuting lawyer, Mr. P. M. Ukande, Deputy Director, Public Prosecution, Benue State Ministry of Justice, consequently prayed the court to remand the accused and fix a date for proper trial having plead not guilty to all the charges preferred against him.

Counsel to the accused, Mr. Abel Onoja, did not oppose the application for trial and therefore urged the court to make an order to compel the prosecution to ensure that medical experts named in the suit are physically brought before the court to testify during commencement of full trial.

“My Lord, I have a motion which seeks to compel the prosecution to produce medical experts who have been mentioned in the proof of evidence to be put on notice as to their physical appearance in court, so that they can testify when the trial commences,” Onoja pleaded.

The prosecuting counsel vehemently opposed the application brought before the judge saying “it was wrong and premature for the defence counsel to come up with such application hence full trial was yet to commenced.”

The trial judge, Justice Augustine Ityonyiman, while agreeing with the prosecution, overruled the defendant’s application, saying that “it is premature.”

Subsequently, the court adjourned the suit to November 14, 2019, for commencement of trial.

5 Trendy Workouts You Have to Try This Fall

Sport Photo/Shutterstock

If you’ve been more flexible with your workout schedule over the summer, it’s time to get back to it. If you’re ready to try something new, here are five trendy workouts you should try this fall!

Aerial Yoga

Yoga and hammocks; if this doesn’t already sound amazing, I don’t know what does! The gravity-defying moves decompress your spine, improve your blood circulation, and stimulate your lymphatic system to flush toxins out of your body. Aerial yoga has quickly gained popularity over the last few years. In the beginning, it was pretty hard to find a studio with silky threads hanging from the ceiling. But today, most people would be surprised if a yoga studio didn’t offer aerial classes. You can even buy and install your own hammock!

If this sounds interesting, but you’ve never taken a single yoga class, have no fear! Even advanced yoga practitioners and teachers are clueless about how to maneuver in the silk threads when they get in the hammock for the first time. It’s fun, exciting, different, and you can safely flip and fly around. You’ll also discover new ways to twist, bend, and extend your spine.

Give it a shot—you might absolutely love it!

Trampoline Workout

Pavel1964/Shutterstock

Remember when you were a kid and jumping on a trampoline was one of your favorite things to do? Well, trampoline workouts are now a popular fitness trend, so if you want to recreate that joy you felt as a kid, check it out!

In addition to being fun serotonin boosters, trampoline workouts are a full-body strengthening and conditioning challenge. It fires up your cardiovascular system, seriously works your leg muscles, and activates your core, so you can keep your balance and keep jumping. Whether it’s a 20-minute High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) sequence or a 60-minute full-body endurance session, a trampoline workout can challenge you on many levels.

Celebrity trainer Simone De La Rue swears by it.

“Bouncing helps drain the lymphatic glands and boost your immune system,” said De La Rue. “It especially protects your knees, hips, and lower back, and you are forced to use your core to stabilize so that you don’t fall off. It also challenges your coordination and skill. Over time, these add up to incredible holistic health benefits for both your body and mind.”

To quote famous hip-hop group, House of Pain, it’s time to, “Jump up, jump up, and get down.”

Bungee Workout

Coreo Fitness

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Lockly Secure Pro Brings a Fingerprint Reader to Your Smart Lock

Josh Hendrickson

Between PIN, fingerprint reader, voice commands, an app, and a physical key, the Lockly Secure Pro smart lock has no shortage of ways to unlock your door. And while more options usually mean more convenience, it also means more complications.

Lockly’s Secure Pro is unlike other smart locks I’ve tried. It doesn’t have a standard keypad. Instead, it features a touch screen that randomly generates numbered circles for you to push.

It also features a fingerprint reader on the side so you can skip the PIN entirely, which is a faster way to unlock your door. For added convenience, the touchscreen serves as a lock button, just touch it anywhere and the door locks. With so many features, this should be one of the most convenient smart locks on the market. But it’s not quite there.

Installing is Fairly Easy for a Smart Lock

When I opened the Lockly box, I felt a little intimidated despite having installed many locks and multiple smart locks. The box includes a giant instruction booklet, complete with guides for measuring your door’s holes and cavities. The good news is, the book is a little bit overkill, I was able to install the lock without much trouble.

Typically the most challenging part of installing a smart lock is balancing the keypad and battery pack on either side of the door before you get them fully secured. The sheer weight of the two pieces will fight you and want to fall out of the door, leaving you trying to clamp them while driving screws awkwardly.

Lockly addressed that issue with two options. They added extra screw holes to the top of the two components so you can secure them directly to the door, which should add stability. I didn’t like that idea, so I went with option two: 3M sticky tape, which worked surprisingly well. Thanks to the tape, I installed the lock in 15 minutes, and without any feelings of frustration.

In order from top to bottom are Simplisafe, Wyze, and Lockly contact sensors. Lockly’s sensor is huge. Josh Hendrickson

After installing the lock, you plug in the included Wi-Fi hub and connect the largest contact sensor I’ve ever seen to your door. The sensor helps the lock track your door’s open and close state for automated locking.

The battery compartment hardware isn’t very inspiring. It’s plastic, which gives the lock a less premium feel. And the thumb turn is incredibly small, which is only emphasized by the giant plastic box it’s attached to. Every time I turn it to lock or unlock the door, I feel like I’m going to snap it off. To be clear, I highly doubt I could snap it off, but it feels like I could.

The outside hardware, on the other hand, screams smart gadget and feels a little more premium with its large black touchscreen that displays the keypad.

The Keypad is Unique and Mildly Frustrating

You touch the circle that contains the next number of your PIN, not a number itself. Josh Hendrickson

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Ask Yourself These Questions Before Setting Up a Smarthome

Alexmisu/Shutterstock

Are you thinking about starting up smarthome? Great! But don’t jump directly in without a plan. That’s how you end up making common smarthome beginner mistakes. Instead, before buying anything, you should ask yourself a few common-sense questions.

What Changes Can You Make to Your Home?

Creating a smarthome involves varying levels of installing new tech. Some gadgets, like smart plugs and voice assistant speakers, are as simple as plugging the device into an outlet. Others entail making a physical change to your home, like changing the locks or doorbells.

But depending on your home situation, you may not be able to make those changes. If you rent, for instance, you may not be allowed to change the locks without permission. In some cases, the answer might always be no.

In other instances, installing tech may call for a particular expertise. Are you comfortable with electrical work? What about working with the plumbing of your home? If you aren’t, that limits you from installing devices that are wired directly into your home or connected to your pipes.  You would have to pay a professional to complete the install, which adds to price.

What Do You Want to Accomplish?

Do you want smart lights you can control by voice? Josh Hendrickson

Once you know what kind of changes you can make, it’s time to ask yourself what you want to accomplish. These days, manufacturers seem willing to slap a radio on nearly anything just to call it smart and sell it to you. For that reason alone, there are all kinds of smarthome devices you should avoid.

But to figure out which ones are right for you, you should have a good idea of what you want your smarthome to do for you. If your chief concern is cutting back on power usage, then smart bulbs, plugs, and a thermostat is your starting point.

On the other hand, if security is your goal, you’ll want to invest in smart locks, video doorbells, and other cameras. Smarthomes technology can meet a variety of needs and desires, and in most cases, they even solve more than one problem. But start simple. Pick one goal to accomplish and go after that first. Then expand.

Do You Want to Do it Yourself?

We often focus on do-it-yourself smarthome tech at How-To Geek, but you don’t have to do it yourself. Various companies like Control4 and Savant offer customized smarthome systems you can purchase. Typically you’ll buy a centralized hub (sometimes a traditional smarthome hub, but more often a full computer like a Mac Mini) and a series of devices like smart plugs, bulbs, and even smart shades for your home.

Control4, Savant, and others offer a single app solution to control your smarthome. And they usually do work with outside services like Google Home and Alexa. These companies do all the hard work for you, but at a premium cost.

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CARDI B RECEIVES HUGE DIAMOND RING AS HER 27TH BIRTHDAY GIFT FROM OFFSET

Cardi B could not believe what gifts she received for her 27th birthday, including The Titanic Diamond!

Cardi B's husband, Offset, first surprised Cardi with the gigantic heart-shaped diamond ring with a separate matching band. Each band featured smaller diamond hearts surrounding the ring itself.

"I deserve this," Cardi said in the Instagram video tearfully. "I love you husband," she said joyfully. The Titanic Diamond was handcrafted for the "I Like It" singer by Pristine Jewelers in New York City, who shared videos of its creation.


The Migos member also surprised his wife with a huge diamond pendant necklace with a picture of their daughter, Kulture, in the middle of the diamond-encrusted piece.

Offset didn't end the gift-giving there!  Cardi received a blue Hermès Birkin bag, which was similar to her red Hermès Birkin bag cake that her family presented to her later in the evening.

Pristine Jewelers also shared that they custom made bling for baby Kulture, 100 carats worth! Cardi posted an Instagram video of Kulture donning three gold chains.

See photo of Cardi's extravagant gifts, below!

IPOB PLEADS FOR END TO KILLING IN SOUTHEAST

THE leadership of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has called for an end of what it called “countless and endless killing of the people of the Southeast by various security agency personnel in the region.”

IPOB in a release issued by its Publicity Secretary, Comrade Emma Powerful, said “constant harassment and killing of innocent civilians in the East will not make up for the failure of Nigerian Army under the leadership of Lt. Gen. Tukuru Buratai to deal with insurgency and terrorism ravaging the Northeast.”



This is even as IPOB in the release claimed that the ongoing military exercises and operations across the country were needless.

IPOB leadership which accused the governors of the Southeast and the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief John Nnia Nwodo, for colluding with the Nigerian Army to kill the people said “Any reasonable society would have noticed by now that these meaningless military exercises designed to torment civil society is a tactical diversion to cover up the failures of the Nigeria Army. The plan is to give the world the misleading impression that insecurity is affecting every part of Nigeria and Biafraland when that is not the case,” the release said.

AISHA BUHARI ARRIVES NIGERIA AFTER TWO MONTHS IN THE UK

The First Lady returned to Nigeria two days after her husband's rumoured wedding to Sadiya Umar Farouq.


First Lady of Nigeria, Mrs. Aisha Muhammadu Buhari has returned to Nigeria after a long holiday in the UK.

Mrs Buhari arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport at 4.30am via a British Airways flight.



Speaking to reporters on arrival, she said she was happy to be home after a well-deserved rest, adding that she was fully rejuvenated to continue the work of improving the health and well-being of women, children and other vulnerable Nigerians.


Mrs Buhari returned to the country, two days after the rumour that President Muhammadu Buhari was getting married to Sadiya Umar Farouq, his Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development on Friday, October 11, 2019.

The wedding rumour came with a viral invitation card and a pre-wedding video of Sadiya on social media. It was also rumoured that Aisha, who had been away for almost two months made a surprise return to the country and was locked up by a cabal at the Presidential Villa.

However, on her return on Sunday, Mrs. Buhari who was received by wives of present and former and governors and many associates thanked her husband, family and well-wishers for their support and encouragement.

FGN SUSPENDS PROFESSIONAL EXAM AS TEACHERS ACT VIOLENT

The Federal Government has suspended the 2019 Professional Qualifying Examination (PQE) for teachers at the Ibadan CBT centre following the alleged unruly behaviour of some candidates.

Mr. Sonny Echono, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, disclosed this in an interview with journalists after monitoring the Computer Based Test (CBT) process in Abuja on Saturday.


Echono announced the suspension of the PQE CBT center at the University of Ibadan (UI) following what he described as unruly behaviour of the candidates.

NAN reports that the PQE was introduced in 2017 for teachers and only those who passed the written examination were certified qualified to teach in the country.

He commended the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) for organising what he described as “transparent exams process” in 47 CBT centres across the country.


“More than 69,000 candidates are writing the PQE across the 36 states including the FCT under the close supervision of TRCN.

“From the report from Ibadan, the system has some little lapses that is why the CBT was cancelled and we are working toward looking for another day for the exam to be fixed.

“There is improvement in the logistics as observed. Candidates images appear on the computer screen which make it difficult for exam malpractice or cheating.


“It is easy for the exam monitoring officials to confirm that the candidate sitting for the exam is actually the person with the identity,” he said.

According to him, the Dec. 31 deadline to end quackery in teaching profession in Nigeria still stands.

The permanent secretary said that the government was working on creating a teachers’ data base to collate the data of certified and qualified teachers.



“Anyone not certified or qualified to teach will not have any place in our classroom. We will begin the implementation in January 2020.

“We have also asked the TRCN to make contingency arrangements for additional diet to accommodate individuals who are just registering to write the PQE, ” Echono added.

He said that computer literacy was now compulsory for anyone aspiring to be a teacher.



Also, Prof. Josiah Ajiboye, the Registrar of TRCN, said that Africa alone has a deficit of seven million teachers and that Nigeria accounts for the largest number.

“We need a lot of teachers in our schools. Some states have not recruited teachers in the last 10 years; when you get to some schools you will find only four teachers in the entire school.”

On the suspension of the PQE process in Ibadan, the Registrar stated “the UI centre is the only Computer Based Test centre for the PQE that we got unpleasant report.



“Teachers became unruly, a large number of them besieged the CBT hall and wanted to write their exams all at once. So we had to discontinue the exam until further notice.”

Those who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) all commended the processes but called for more centers to accommodate the large number of candidates in future examinations.

NAN reports that Oyo State has the highest number of candidates with 5,145, followed by Lagos State with 5,117, Kaduna 4,616 and 4,214 in the FCT.



Also, 3,709 candidates registered in Plateau State while Zamfara State has the lowest number of candidates with 397 candidates”.

DJ ZEDD PERMANENTLY BANNED FROM CHINA, SEE WHY

International DJ Zedd, has claimed he's been banned from China for liking a Tweet from the adult animated show ''South Park,'' following a rift between the producers of the show and the Communist Chinese government .


The rift between China and the show’s producers started last week when they aired an episode titled “Band in China.”



                             

In the episode, one of the characters, Randy Marsh travels to China to sell marijuana from his farm in the Chinese market. While there, he is arrested and witnesses the harsh treatment of Chinese prisoners. While at the work camp, he encounters Winnie the Pooh who was also a political prisoner in the cartoon, and Winnie the pooh had striking physical comparisons to Chinese President Xi Jinping.



The episode sparked outrage from Beijing, prompting the government to ban "South Park" from its Internet, including any social media mentions on State controlled social media platform Weibo -- as well as scrubbing episodes and clips from the streaming service Youku.

                             

The controversy continued after the producers Trey Parker and Matt Stone issued a mock "apology" on Monday to China.

Zedd, whose real name is Anton Zaslavski, announced his ban just days later, though he did not say if the ban meant he was no longer physically allowed in the country or if his music would be censored.

CNBC reported Saturday morning that his songs were still available on China’s main streaming service.

I owe my success in politics to my Mother – Gbajabiamila

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila has said that Nigeria cannot achieve political dependent based on the rights of the Nigerian people to choose their leaders in a free and fair election without interference and imposition and yet argue for the imposition of quotas in elective offices.

The Speaker also said that he owes his success in the political arena to his mother who he said encouraged his participation in politics, stressing that he want to be remembered as someone who contributed to active women participation in the political life of the country.


To this end, he said he would be proposing Women’s Victory Fund at the next meeting of the National Executive Committee of the his party, the All Progressives Congress and ask all other parties to do the same as a way of raising money to encourage women participation in the electoral process of the country.

Delivering a keynote address at a Women in Politics dialogue forum organised by Women in Management, Business and Public Service in Abuja, the Speaker said “I have heard it said that we can achieve increased gender participation in politics by imposing quotas and allocating elective political office.

“We cannot on the one hand advocate for a new kind of politics dependent on respect for the basic human right of all people to choose their leaders in free and fair elections without interference and imposition, and on the other hand argue for the imposition of quotas in elective office.

“This is a fundamentally antidemocratic idea, and the proposition collapses under the weight of its own contradictions.”

He told them that they cannot achieve anything in politics or hope to occupy political positions without first joining a political party and playing active part in its as they must first belong to a party before they can be nominated for elective office.

He said “my participation in politics is a legacy of my mother and I owe my achievements in this arena to her. Now, I am a father of daughters for whom I hold the highest ambitions.

“At the end of my career in politics, it is my hope that I would have contributed constructively to the achievement of a society where my daughters and all our daughters can live up to their highest aspirations, freed from discrimination on the basis of their gender, and protected from the worst consequences of our patriarchal society.”

Photos: Tragey strucks in Aboru as flood sweeps 11-year-old boy and his rescuer to death

Tragedy struck residents of Aboru and Iyana-Ipaja in Alimosho area of Lagos on Saturday as flood swept away an 11-year-old boy and his rescuer, one Wasiu into a canal linking Aburo and Iyana-Ipaja on Ige Road.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent, who visited the scene of the accident observed huge crowd wearing long faces due to the unfortunate incident that occurred following the overflow of the canal.

It was gathered that two young boys sent by their parents to buy cooking gas at a gas station unknowingly fell into the drain through which water passed into the canal.


“Three young men attempted rescuing the boys and succeeded in rescuing the older one, but one of the rescuers popularly known as Wasiu Stubborn was swept away while trying to rescue the other victim,” eyewitnesses told the NAN.

Speaking to NAN at the scene, Mr Solomon Agboghoroma, a Community Development Association leader in Oki town, regretted the development, blaming the failure of government to construct a bridge in the area for such incidents.

Agboghoroma, who recounted the ordeals of landlords and residents of the area anytime it rained, said that there was the need to expand Aboru road and build a bridge at Cement Bud Stop to forestall recurrence of such tragedy.

“This rain started almost four or five days ago but the one of last night was one of the heaviest and it started at about 2:15 am and by 3:15am, it came with full force and everywhere was flooded.

“At about 7:30 am or 8:00am, we learnt that an OPC member, who was security guard in one of the gas stations here was carried away by flood while trying to rescue two children who came to buy gas, but fell into the drain.

“The gas station had not opened because of the flood as the whole place including the canal had overflowed its banks.

“The children misplaced their legs and the two of them fell inside the gutter. This OPC boy went and rescued one but in the process of rescuing the second child, he and the boy fell into the canal and that was the end,” Agboghoroma said.

He blamed the government for the tragedy, saying that several petitions had been written to successive governments in the state from the time of former Gov. Babatunde Fashola to the last administration of Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode.