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North-West: PTDF screens 720 prospective overseas scholars in Kaduna
The Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), has begun the screening of 720 shortlisted prospective scholars from the North-West for its ‘Overseas Scholarship Scheme’ in Kaduna.
The scholarship programmed is one year for MSc and three years for PhD.
The PTDF’s Team Lead for the North-West Centre, Kaduna, Saratu Idris, said this while speaking to newsmen at the sideline of the exercise on Wednesday at the College of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Kaduna.
Idris said that 1,707 candidates applied for the scholarship, where 720 were shortlisted and 189 candidates would be interviewed for the day.
She listed the scholarship programmed to be on certain disciplines which include: Engineering,Computing, Geo-Sciences, Environmental and Management Sciences.
Idris also listed the host countries for the scholarship programmed to be Brazil, France, Malaysia, Germany and UK.
She explained that some of the processes for the scholarship interview included the involvement of panelists who were mostly scholars.
Idris equally said there were criteria for candidates’ selection, which include scrutinizing their first degree certificates, O level results, of which Mathematics and English are key.
She also said professional membership in organizations was a part of the criteria, adding, ”where MSc candidates must have a statement of purpose and research proposals for PhD candidates.
For transparency and giving equal opportunities for eligible Nigerians, the team lead said PTDF advertised the scholarship programmed online and in some Newspapers.
Earlier, Dr Munir Surajo, the Interim Head of the college, said the institution was established by PTDF as a tertiary Institution to basically complement its other capacity building initiatives.
He explained that one of the major activities of the college was to deliver post-graduate training programmes in trades that were related to the oil and gas industry at Msc and PhD levels.
Speaking on the scholarship programme, he said it was aimed at ensuring that Nigerians were trained on the management of the country’s oil and gas resources.
Surajo said, “When oil was discovered in the country, those who managed its facilities were mostly expatriates.
”We feel it is high time Nigerians take up those roles, which we believe is a gradual process.
“By mandate of PTDF which was set up to develop human and technological capacity for the oil and gas industry.
”One of our cardinal programmes is the overseas scholarship scheme through which Nigerians are trained from various Institutions across the globe”.
Speaking on the importance of oil, Surajo said over 80 per cent of the country’s revenue earning comes from it, saying, ”if many Nigerians are fully trained and participate in the oil and gas industry the country would flourish better.”
Also speaking to newsmen, one of the panelists for the scholarship interview, Dr Hauwa Ibrahim, a Lecturer at the Nasarawa University, commended PTDF for selecting the right candidates for the scholarship.
She said the interview panels have at least three panelists each, where the multi-interview process ensures fairness inline with the criteria which was already defined.
Ibrahim said she was impressed by the candidates’ demonstration of excellent research skills.
“Some of them are proactive, some of them are already standing out in their field of research across all the spheres,” she said.
One of the scholarship interviewees, Rukayya Adam, who applied for MSc in cyber-security, said she was passionate about contributing her quota to the upliftment of the oil and gas industry as a cyber analyst.
She said she wants to be part of those who give security guidance to the internet-related issues that put the country’s oil and gas industry in despair.(NAN)
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“No Injustice Was Done Against Ex-Minister Turaki By the Police Regarding DNA Test Result, Woman Tells Court
A woman, Hadiza Baffa, has told a Federal High Court in Abuja that tno Injustice was done against Kabiru Turaki, former minister, special duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, in obtaining a DNA Test result to determine the paternity of her child.
She said by her knowledge, all that transpired in the Police Headquarters was with every sense of humility against the parties involved.
Hadiza told Justice Inyang Ekwo in her affidavit to show cause filed by her lawyer, Sani Idris, on why the reliefs sought in Turaki’s motion ex-parte should not be granted.
Turaki, in the motion ex-parte marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/244/2025, dated Feb 11, but filed on Feb 13, had sued the Nigerian Police Force (NPF), Inspector-General (I-G) of Police; DCP Rita Oki Oyintare, who is Deputy Commissioner of Police for Gender and Hadiza Musa Baffa as 1st to 4th respondents respectively.
He sought an order of interim injunction restraining the respondents from presenting, using, or relying on the purported DNA paternity test result procured from the DNA Labs Limited or any other DNA laboratory on Nov. 5, 2024, or any other date thereafter.
Hadiza, in her counter-affidavit alleged that the ex-minister “maliciously filed the suit when it came to his knowledge that the DNA Test forms part of the evidence at the Magistrate Court and knowing the result shows that 99.9% the applicant is the biological father of the baby.”
“ That contrary to the denial of the Applicant having illicit sexual intercourse with me and also denying being a biological father of our daughter, the Applicant volunteered his swab in the daylight not night, and the Applicant the next day equally took the swab of our daughter by his medical doctor in the presence of his lawyers at Police Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), and some days after reached out to me that he had confirmed the DNA and asked me for settlement;
“ That his lawyers on the 9th Day of January, 2025 asked me to come to Police Force Intelligence Department (FID) to collect their proposed terms of settlement;
“That after collecting the proposed terms of settlement it was stated therein that the Applicant will take custody of the daughter in order to grow up and bond with his children which he refers to as her siblings, and also offered to give me access to our daughter, and I refused the Applicant’s proposed terms,” Hadiza said.
She said the purported restraining order Turaki mentioned in his originating summon was obtained ex-parte by fraud and misrepresentation to restrain the 1st to 3rd respondents from accepting any complaint, and same was vacated by the presiding Upper Area Court Judge.
According to her, contrary to the allegation of the applicant the order was made after I had made my complaint and my statement was already obtained by the Nigerian Police.
“The applicant knows full well that it is only the DNA Test that will exonerate me or him if at all what I am saying about the pregnancy is not that of the applicant and the paternity issue.
“That by my knowledge, all that transpired in the Police Headquarters was done with all sense of humility against the parties involved,” Hadiza said.
She said Turaki had been arraigned at the Chief Magistrate Court, Wuse at Zone 2 in Abuja.
“That it is in the interest of justice to dismiss the applicant’s application,” she prayed
Giving a 13-ground argument why his application should be granted, Turaki said he instituted an action against Hadiza (4th respondent) vide suit No CV/35/2024 on June 24, 2024.
The ex-minister alleged that on Nov. 5, 2024, he was invited by DCP Oyintare and he honoured the invitation.
He further alleged that upon honouring the invitation, Oyintare insisted that she must take a swab from him to conduct a DNA to prove the paternity of Hadiza’s daughter.
He said though he protested, he was detained at the Force Criminal Investigation Department’s cell at Area 10, Garki, Abuja for about 6 hours from 12 noon till 6pm, and at about 9pm, his “swab sample was collected by a purported scientist at the behest of the 3rd respondent,” before he was allowed to go home at about 10pm on that day..
He further said unless the court promptly intervened, the respondents would rely on the said purported DNA test paternity result, the validity or otherwise being the subject matter of the instant suit.
Justice Ekwo had, on Feb. 18, ordered the former minister to put all the respondents on notice when the motion was moved by his lawyer, Abdulaziz Ibrahim, SAN.
The judge directed the respondents to show cause in the next adjourned date why the prayers sought by the ex-minister should not be granted.
Meanwhile, Hadiza, in her affidavit to show cause, told the court that granting Turaki’s application would prejudice her and would cause her and her child an irreparable damages.
The police, in their counter affidavit, also urged the court to dismiss the ex-minister’s request.
Justice Ekwo adjourned the matter until March 24 for hearing.
The Sultan of Sokoto and President General, Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III on Friday confirmed
the sighting of new moon and urged all Muslim ummah in Nigerian to commence fasting from Saturday 1st March, 2025.
Speaking in his palace in Sokoto, Sultan noted that, the new Moon of Ramadan, 1446AH was sighted in various places as confirmed by both the state and national Moon Sighting Committee.
According to him, they have accepted the position of the committees hence admonishing Muslims to commence fasting accordingly from Saturday 1st March, 2025 being the first day of Ramadan 1446AH.
The Sultan who appealed for understanding, tolerance and love among Nigerians also admonished the Muslim ummah to seek the face of Almighty Allah in the fasting period.
He therefore use the opportunity to implore Muslim Ummah to devote themselves fully to Ibadat throughout the Holy Month, and also implore them to show love and understanding to all irrespective of religion, tribe or political affiliations.
Sultan further urged Muslims to pray fervently for the blessings of Allah for leaders in Nigeria to succeed in steering the affairs of the country, as well as sustenance of peace and and peaceful coexistence.
And to Nigerians, Sultan said, “I want to implore all of you to continue to pray for peace and stability of the country”.
BY ANKELI EMMANUEL, Sokoto
Worried by the indefinite strike action embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU) Sokoto State University chapter, the state government has concluded that it was a politically motivated action.
Addressing newsmen at the Government House, Sokoto, the state commissioner for Higher Education, Professor Isa Muhammad Maishanu expressed concerns that the management of Sokoto State University (SSU) should rather show some degree of appreciation to the governor Ahmed Aliyu led who have intervened in most of their challanges.
According to Prof. Maishanu, SSU had suffered neglect from previous administration thus leaving the state Ivory tower in a deplorable condition without electricity, dilapidated lecture rooms, and offices which rendered the institution unpalatable.
Continuing, Prof Maishanu said, despite not giving any document regarding assets and liabilities of SSU by the immediate past governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal led government, the present administration of Ahmed Aliyu has restored cash allocation to the institution, payment of the stopped visiting lecturers salaries all in his pursuit of better education for he people of the state.
While stressing that the reasons giving for embarking on the strike by SSU ASUU which include, “Non- implementation of the 25% and 35% salary increase for both non academic and academic staff,
non payment of the check off dues, implementation of 25%-35% increase and the EAA, are issues that could be easily addressed as the governor has constituted committee to look into the complaint after it was presented, Prof. Maishanu appealed to the striking SSU ASUU to give peace a chance.
He added that the committee set up by governor Ahmed Aliyu had “obtained templates and relevant circulars and making frantic consultations with relevant agencies including the Federal Ministry of Labor and Employment on the said matter’.