In agricultural production, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are crops and animals which have had their genetic materials improved upon through genetic engineering techniques. Genetic engineering techniques are laboratory procedures that allow scientists to introduce genes into an organism from the same or different species. For example, a popular GMO is Bt maize. This maize has a gene introduced into it from a bacterium called Bacillus thuringiensis, resulting in maize that is resistant to specific insect pests. However, since the basic building blocks of all living things are the same regardless of whether they are plants, animals, or micro-organisms, such gene…
Author: TheStories
Vice-president Yemi Osinbajo was in Washington last week to talk shop with US and World Bank officials on issues that matter to our country and the rest of the world. His takeaway from that trip will most likely be the brief lecture given him by the World Bank Group president, David Malpass, on the management of our stubborn national economy. Osinbajo was shopping for support from the World Bank on the vexed challenge that has defeated every president since our return to civil rule in 1999: fuel subsidy. Yes, that again. Malpass thought the vice-president was looking for a solution…
Kaduna-based Desert Herald newspaper publisher Tukur Mamu’s quick transition from hostage negotiator to state security detainee was not very difficult for keen observers to foresee. Since February this year, when terrorists stormed an Abuja-Kaduna bound train and made away with dozens of hostages, Mamu has been in the daily spotlight as the man trusted by the terrorists to conduct negotiations between them, government and the families of hostages. While Ansaru hostage takers trusted Mamu, it was evident from the beginning that government had no faith in him as an honest broker. It was very dangerous work. To begin with, no…
The North West University Sokoto (NWUS) has commenced admission into degree programmes for the 2022/2023 academic session. This is contained in a statement by the Registrar of the University, Umar Musa Garun Babba made available to newsmen on Thursday. According to the statement, suitably qualified applicants should apply for admission into the Faculty of Computing and Science, Faculty of Education and Faculty of Management and Social Sciences of the newly established North West University Sokoto for the 2022/2023 academic session. The Programme offered in the Department of Accounting and Finance is B.Sc Accounting and B.Sc Banking and Finance; Department of…
The President of Nigerian Students in Europe, Muhammad Bashiru Saidu has observed that Niger state is among worst states in Nigeria with poor scholarship programmes. Saidu also appealed to the state governor, Abubakar Sani Bello to provide scholarship for the state indigenes to enable them join their counterparts to study in Europe. Speaking with newsmen in Abuja on Monday, Saidu said the state is not doing enough to sponsor its students abroad. “Our study has revealed that the state government has not been sponsoring its students to study. “This is not encouraging, especially when other states are doing their best…
Nigerian government has settled the long-standing contractual dispute with a foreign investor group in the steel space of $5.258 billion for $496m, Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN has said. A statement by the special assistant on media and public relations, Dr. Umar Jibrilu Gwandu made available to newsmen on Sunday, said the mediation proceedings was under the International Chamber of Commerce’s (ICC) Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) framework led by Mr Phillip Howell-Richardson. The settlement agreement came into effect on 19 August 2022. “Nigeria succeeded in reducing the claim in mediation brought by the…
The solar system consists of a star called the “Sun” with “nine planets” rotating and revolving around it. The planets of our solar system are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. At the advanced level, the solar system includes the satellites of the planets; numerous comets, asteroids, meteoroids, and the interplanetary medium. The Sun is the major source of electromagnetic energy (mostly in the form of heat and light) in the solar system. The Sun’s nearest known stellar neighbor is a red dwarf star called Proxima Centauri, at a distance of 4.3 light years away. A…
We have looked at various forms of government in the first part of this treatise. We ended with the posers, “Can we continue this way? Is it the fault of the system or the operators of the system? Should we scout for a better system or better operators? Should we look inwards? Will a system in tandem with our inner being be the answer to our multifaceted and ever-growing problems as a nation?” We signed off with this thought: “Perhaps we have been imposing on ourselves systems that are alien to us, to our culture, to our souls.” Some think…
On Monday, ASUU declared to extend the strike it commenced on 14th February, 2022 because: “the demands of the Union had not been satisfactorily addressed. Consequently, NEC resolved to transmute the roll-over strike to a comprehensive, total and indefinite strike action beginning from 12.01am on Monday, 29th August, 2022.” This action is in keeping with the tradition of long strikes to seek redress to ASUU grievances against the federal government. It is phenomenal that in spite of all the changes that have occurred in the last forty years, ASUU has been able to retain its radical engagement for over four…
Fr. Dominic called my phone with a sense of panic. From his tone, you would assume that he had seen a ghost. “Bishop Kukah just called me. He said he is coming to baptize your daughter in my parish. You should have told me earlier. This is Bishop Kukah we are talking about”. Fr. Dominic, my Parish Priest in Galadima, Gwarinpa Abuja was obviously unhappy. This was not the kind of surprise any young priest wants to get early in the morning. Bishop Kukah had called the priest for permission to perform the rite of baptism for my daughter in…