NaiJa Joint

Senate Leader, Senator Ahmad Lawan (APC, Yobe) and Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio (PDP, Akwa-Ibom), were locked in a battle of words on Thursday over which chamber of the National Assembly was superior. Drama started when the Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah (APC, Kebbi), while explaining the powers of the legislature in budget appropriation, said the Senate and the House were of equal status. Akpabio interjected by raising a point of order. He insisted that the Senate was superior to the House in terms of status. The former governor of Akwa Ibom said it was in recognition of the superiority of the Senate that the constitution gave additional responsibilities to it.  “The constitution assigns additional responsibility to the Senate and excluded the House; that’s confirmation of nominees. “This is why many people contest for Senate from the House. I hope one day the deputy leader will contest for House and go back there,” he posited. Within...

Professor Alain Goriely is Professor of Mathematical modelling at Oxford University’s  Mathematical Institute and founder of the International Brain Mechanics and Trauma Lab (IBMTL). He talks to ScienceBlog about the key findings from his recently published work  ‘Dimensional, Geometrical and Physical Constraints in Skull Growth’ , and how geometry and mathematical modelling can help us to understand the mechanics of the brain. In 2013, together with Prof. Alain Jérusalem from the Engineering Department, I opened the International Brain Mechanics and Trauma Lab (IBMTL) here in Oxford. IBMTL is a network of people interested in the many and varied problems of brain mechanics and morphogenesis. As part of the launch, in true Oxford style, the team organised a workshop, where I got talking to Jayaratnam Jayamohan, aka Jay Jay, a brilliant paediatric neurosurgeon at the John Radcliffe Hospital, in Oxford, whose work has featured in BBC documentaries. Jay Jay routinely perform...

There is a lot of anger among survivors and relatives of the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire for a tragedy that they believe could have been prevented.  Not even the Queen was safe from criticism.  At the end of her visit to the Westway sports centre, where she along with Prince William met residents and firefighters, a distraught man could be heard saying  “What about our children," and, "Queen! Come here! We want to see you." The Queen returned to her 4x4 as William apologised and pledged to "come back" to the centre, which has now become a relief centre for displaced people and relatives of the missing.  The man was identified as Rami Mohamed, who said he was a friend of missing siblings Firdaws and Yahya: View image on Twitter  Follow Jamie Grierson   ✔ @JamieGrierson Rami Mohamed, clutching a missing appeal poster of siblings Firdaws and Yahya, beckoned the Queen and Prince William to come over to him. ...

The Commissioner of Police in Imo, Chris Ezike, said he had recommended posthumous promotion for two police officers who died while repelling robbery attack on a branch of Zenith Bank in Imo State. Mr. Ezike told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Owerri that another policeman, Otu Attang, who survived the Feb. 22, 2017 attack, would also be promoted with the deceased officers, Messrs Chukwudi Iboko and Sunday Agbo. Four armed men on that day, trailed a man to the bank in Owerri, and in the process, attacked police officers attached to the place. In the gun battle, the policemen killed one of the robbers identified as Ikechukwu Okpara, but lost Messrs Iboko and Agbo. Mr. Ezike said the recommendation followed the huge sacrifice the three officers made to save the bank and its customers. “The officers were gallant and showed serious commitment during the robbery attack. Nigeria Police Force cannot abandon them,” he said. The commissioner also said the management of the ban...

T he  Nigeria Union in South Africa on Wednesday accused two communities in the country of asking Nigerians to quit their territories. President of the union, Ikechukwu Anyene, said the Kuruman community in Northern Cape province gave Nigerians till Thursday to leave the place. Anyene also said the Klaafontein community, extension 5, Johannesburg, has also directed landlords not to renew the rent of Nigerians in the area. He said the grievance of the South Africans was that Nigerians were responsible for some social vices such as illicit drug trade and prostitution. Anyene said a Ugandan, who allegedly raped a girl in Kwazulu Natal Province, was described as a Nigerian in the media. “The Nigeria union held series of meetings with the affected communities as well as police and local authorities on the recent threats to Nigerians,” Anyene told NAN. “We have also written reports on these incidents and sent to the Nigerian mission and the South African police. “We recomm...

RONALDO WANTS MADRID EXIT Cristiano Ronaldo has told Real Madrid president Florentino Perez that he wants to leave the club, according to  A Bola . The Portugal international was recently embroiled in a tax complaint and as such has taken the 'irreversible' decision to leave Spain this summer. BAYERN STILL WANT VERRATTI Bayern Munich remain interested in signing Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Marco Verratti despite bringing in Corentin Tolisso from Lyon, according to  Bild . Carlo Ancelotti is a huge admirer of Verratti, who reportedly favours a move to Barcelona, but Bayern are some way apart from agreeing both a fee with PSG and personal terms with the Italy international. LIVERPOOL WANT TO RAISE £60M Liverpool are looking to raise £60 million to boost their summer transfer budget by selling fringe members of Jurgen Klopp's squad, according to  The Times .  Lazar Markovic is a target for Watford after impressing on loan a...