By Suleiman Yakubu

The remains of former commissioner, Niger State Ministry of Land and Housing, Alh. Nuhu Musa, have been laid to rest at the Unguwar Daji Muslim burial ground, Minna.
The late Alh. Nuhu Musa died at about 2:00 a.m. on Monday, at the age of 69, at the Minna general hospital after battling illness.
The Deputy Governor of Niger State, Comrade Yakubu, led other state executive council members and top government functionaries of the state to the funeral prayer of the former Commissioner at the Emir's Palace, Minna.
The Deputy Governor, in a condolence message signed and made available to newsmen by his Press Secretary, Ummikhaltume Abdullahi Kuta, described the death of Alh. Nuhu Musa as a loss not only to his family but to the state and humanity in general.
He said he received the death of Alh. Nuhu Musa, who is his kinsman, with great shock, describing him as a great man of honour who has contributed immensely to the growth and development of Niger State during his service years.
"As the curtains of dawn unfurl, we reflect upon Alh. Nuhu Musa's profound legacy, a tapestry woven with threads of unwavering dedication to the cause of humanity and a testament to the immutable power of righteousness in the face of adversity."
"In this hour of sorrow, let us take solace in the enduring legacy of Alh.Nuhu Musa. May his noble soul find eternal peace in the embrace of the heavens, and may his memory continue to inspire us to strive for a world where justice reigns supreme and compassion knows no bounds," prayed the Deputy Governor.
He also recalled how committed and dedicated the deceased was while in active service and even the wise counsel he was offering even after his active service.
The Deputy Governor also condoled the family members of the deceased, both immediate and extended, as well as the Emir of Minna, Alh. Umar Farouk Bahago, and prayed to Allah to comfort and strengthen them in this moment of grief. He equally prayed to Allah to repose the soul of the late Nuhu Musa and make Aljannah Firdausi his final abode.
The late Alh. Nuhu Musa, MNI, who was born on July 24, 1955, hails from Galadima Kogo in the Shiroro Local Government area of Niger State.
He has served the Niger State Government in different capacities and at different times, including during the military era. He started his career as an administrative officer with the Niger State Civil Service Commission and progressively moved to: Administrative Secretary of ESCON; Director of Personnel, Finance, and Supply; Director of Personnel and Planning; Coordinating Director, Government House Minna; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education.
The late Nuhu Musa was appointed as the Secretary of Rafi Local Government from 1985 to 1986 and as Chairman of Shororo Local Government from 1994 to 1996. He was also a Commissioner for Land and Housing, as well as Solid Minerals Development, during the era of Governor Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu.
The late Alh. Nuhu Musa is survived by three wives and three children, as well as other relatives.

By Suleiman Yakubu

The National Examinations Council (NECO) said it has introduced and launched e-posting software that is designed to address the myriad of problems associated with the posting of council staff for out-of-station assignments.
The Registrar and Chief Executive of NECO, Professor Dantani Ibrahim Wushishi, announced this while releasing the 2023 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) external candidate results, held at NECO headquarters in Minna today.
According to the NECO boss, "prior to the introduction of the annual staff posting calendar, the posting of staff for various assignments was greeted with a lot of complaints arising from lopsidedness and favouritism, which gave rise to serious agitations.
"What we are doing today is taking it a step further by digitalizing the process and making it seamless, thereby addressing some of those concerns associated with the manual process, and with the launch of e-posting, every staff member will be notified at the beginning of the year about the type and number of assignments they are eligible for and the place of assignments," he added.
He stated that an SMS notification will be sent to all staff after the launch to confirm their 2024 posting status, and it will later be broadened to include e-mail messages, noting that it will address all the issues associated with the manual approach as well as afford the staff enough time to prepare.
Professor Dantani Ibrahim Wushishi further explained that two supervisors were blacklisted, one each in Oyo and Lagos states, for poor supervision, inability to control the candidates, and aiding and abetting malpractice.
He said that about 8,518 candidates in 2023 were booked for various forms of malpractice as against 11,419 in 2022, which shows a decline in the number of malpractice cases by 25.40 percent adding that examination malpractice for 2023 SSCE external candidates, two centres, one each in Kaduna and Ogun states, were involved in the whole centre cases.
The NECO boss explained that 73,124 candidates sat for English, out of which 55,272 representing 75.59% got credit or above.
Wushishi further stated that 73,119 candidates sat for mathematics, out of which 67,815 representing 92.75% got credits and above.
He said the number of candidates who got five (5) credits and above, including English language and mathematics, was 50,066, representing 67.35%.
He also said that 62,530 candidates, representing 84.11%, got five credits or above, irrespective of English language and mathematics.