MUHAMMADU BUHARI WINS NIGERIA'S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressive Congress (APC) has today emerged the winner of the 2015 Nigerian Presidential Elections, defeating incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan. This is the first time in the history of Nigeria that an incumbent President was defeated in a general election by the leader of the opposition.

INEC Chairman Attahiru Jega, announced that Buhari of the APC won with 15.4 million votes to defeat all other candidates, with Jonathan of the ruling PDP polling a total of 12,853,162 votes to come second.

This is Muhammadu Buhari’s fourth attempt at contesting for the number one position in Nigeria having failed in 2003, 2007 and 2011. He was Head of State of Nigeria from 31 December 1983 to 27 August 1985, after taking power in a military coup d'état.

He hails from Daura in Katsina State. He was born on 17 December 1942, in to Adamu and Zulaihat Buhari. He is the twenty-third child of his father, who died when he was about four years old. Buhari attended primary school in Daura and Mai'adua before proceeding to Katsina Model School in 1953, and Katsina Provincial Secondary School (now Government College Katsina) from 1956 to 1961. He then joined the Nigerian Military Training School in Kaduna, where his military career began.

His party the All Progressives Congress has promised Nigerians change and on Buhari's shoulder is the herculean task of fulfilling that promise. We wish him all the best.
 

HOW THE GIRL IN MINISKIRT SAVED MY LIFE

‎Growing up with my brothers was such an amazing experience I cant forget. We were involved in various escapades like most children in our days. Some of them we got away with but we were not so lucky all the time. Luck in this context would imply my parents having little or no knowledge of what were up to while they were gone. 

We had to contend with our house helps who held sway while my parents were gone. I remember a particular incident when myself and my immediate younger brother had to tie up one the house helps while she slept, so that we could go out and play. That was the beginning of our partnership in many crimes. And needless to say my parents dealt with us that fateful day. 

THE POWER OF COMPASSION

It’s amazing how some of the things that we often pay very little attention to or even neglect, so often times hold the most significant values in our lives. I used to have a certain female acquaintance who often told me of how the little things I did for her were the ones she treasured the most. She made me realize that what matters most to her is not the enormity of my action but the sincerity and genuineness behind it.

Every day we are presented with an opportunity to touch the lives of people by paying attention to their pressing needs. That lone act of compassion that can transform their lives without necessarily costing us anything. You could deny yourself of that bowl of ice-cream and pizza just to put food on someone’s table or to pay for another’s hospital bill.

ABU STUDENTS CREATE ECO-FRIENDLY CARS

Students from the Mechanical Engineering Department of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria have manufactured two eco-friendly cars that were specially constructed for this year’s ‘Shell Eco Marathon Competition’. The locally-made cars named ABUCAR 1 and ABUCAR 2 were displayed on the university’s campus.

According to the Head of Mechanical Engineering Department, Dr. Mohammed Dauda, they started to manufacture the cars as Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited invited the ABU to participate in what they call ‘Shell Eco Marathon Competition’.

“The car should be one that consumes little fuel but goes long distances. This competition is held in America, Europe and Asia and we are participating in the European one in Netherlands in May this year. All materials used for this car were sourced locally,” Dr. Dauda said.

Dr. Dauda, who doubles as the Dean, Faculty of Engineering, also said that, though, there are things that they did not fabricate themselves, everybody would be surprised that some of the components like the electrical, they just looked at an old computer system and then adopted some of the components that were useful.“So, this is one example of what we did, which is recycling, otherwise, I will say 100 per cent of the things we used were produced here in Zaria,” he added.

NIGERIAN GIRL NAMED AMONG THE 50 SMARTEST TEENAGERS IN THE WORLD

A 19 year old Nigerian student Saheela Ibraheem was listed among the 50 smartest teenagers in the world in a recent ranking by the TheBestSchools.org, a website that identifies smart and intelligent teenagers from around the world. She was ranked 21st.

Saheela was recently invited by the US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle to the Green Room of the White House for the Black History month event. Acknowledging her exceptional nature, Obama said "We are so proud of your accomplishments and all that lies ahead of you, and you reflect our history. Young people like you inspire our future" the President added.  

In 2011, she had a SAT score of 2,340 and was accepted into Harvard University's Department of Neurobiology one of thirteen (MIT, Stanford, Cornell, Princeton, Columbia) of the 14 schools she applied for. She intends to become a research scientist, who studies the brain.

Her parents totally support her and sometimes teach her subjects the school didn't offer. She believes the key to success is knowing what you love to learn as early as possible. A knowledge she says she came about at the early age of 5. As for her intelligence she claims she is nothing special. "I try my best in everything I do. Anyone who's motivated can work wonders.

Saheela combines her academics with other extra-curricular activities like softball, soccer and trombone. She also sings in the school's choir and serves as the President of the school's Investment Club. She is fluent in four languages including Latin and Yoruba.