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NDC To Incorporate Msc Programme In Its Curriculum – Commandant

Published

4 years ago

January 27, 2022

Rear Adm. Murtala Bashir, the Commandant, National Defence College (NDC), says the institution has concluded plans to include master’s degree programme in the school’s curriculum.

Bashir disclosed this at the opening of the Steering Group Retreat of NDC with the theme, “Advancing by Retreating”, on Thursday in Abuja.

He said the college had considered the possibility of it awarding master’s degree for the participants on completion of the 11 months course.

According to him, participants of NDC usually had to go to University of Ibadan or the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) for another six months for them to get master’s degree.

He said the college felt that after 30 years of existence, it had come of age to award degrees to its participants after 11 months, adding that it was the global best practice.

“That is why we are having partners from the National Universities Commission (NUC), University of Ibadan, NDA and other stakeholders so that we brainstorm and see how we can factor master’s degree into the curriculum.

“In the long run, we will make the curriculum to be more robust and more responsive to our needs as a nation,” he said.

The commandant said the retreat was designed to take stock of the curriculum, most especially, to make it more responsive to current realities such as introduction of new courses.

He added that the retreat was also expected to enhance bonding and understanding of issues facing the nation, as well as supporting the whole of societal approach to addressing the issues.

The commandant said the dynamic nature of the world had continued to affect many things around the globe such as the COVID-19.

Others according to him include security challenges and resurgence of political instability in parts of the world.

“We are also seeing the advent of artificial intelligence that has birthed sophisticated technologies which are becoming game changers in almost everything that we do.

“This and so many other things would definitely dictate global events for some time to come.

“We need to factor all these things into our curriculum to make it more responsive to current realities on ground,” he added.

The Deputy Commandant, NDC, Maj.-Gen. Emeka Onumajuru, said the retreat was organised to take stock and reset for optimal performance, saying that an organisation either transform, innovate or dies.

Onumajuru said the retreat would undertake to approach the activities of the college in the context of its mission.

He said that to this effect, it was important that the college curriculum and programmes be tweaked to reflect contemporary demands in knowledge and research to meet global best practices.

“It is expected that this faculty retreat will assist in repositioning the college to better deliver its mandate to help educate this generation of strategic leaders,” he said. (NAN)

Headline

Woman Wanted Over Mutilation Of Boyfriend’s Genitals In US

Published

12 hours ago

October 9, 2025

Editor

Authorities in Toledo, Ohio, United States, are searching for a 45-year-old woman, Jeanita Hopings, accused of breaking into her boyfriend’s home and attacking him with a sharp object, causing serious injuries to his genitals.

As reported by PEOPLE on Thursday, warrants issued for Hopings’ arrest show she faces charges of felonious assault and aggravated burglary in connection with the October 7 incident.

Investigators allege that Hopings “forcefully kicked open the front door” of her boyfriend’s home before entering “without permission,” according to one of the warrants.

Once inside, she allegedly attacked the victim with an “unknown instrument,” inflicting a deep wound.

“The victim’s testicle was clearly exposed as the result of the laceration,” the warrant stated.

The man was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, police confirmed.

Hopings has not yet been arrested and has not entered a plea to the charges. Court records from Lucas County indicate that she has no prior felony history, though she has previously faced several traffic-related misdemeanour offences.

Police say Hopings remains at large as the investigation continues.

Headline

US To Execute Man Convicted Of Rape, Murder Of Teen

Published

16 hours ago

October 9, 2025

Editor

A 53-year-old man convicted of the 2001 rape and murder of a teenage girl is to be executed by lethal injection in the US state of Indiana on Friday.

Roy Lee Ward was sentenced to death in 2002 for the murder of 15-year-old Stacy Payne at her home in the town of Dale.

Payne was repeatedly stabbed and died of her injuries several hours after the attack.

Ward was arrested at the scene while still holding a knife.

The execution is to be carried out between midnight and sunrise on Friday morning at a state prison in Michigan City.

Ward will be the third person put to death in Indiana since the state resumed executions last year after a 15-year hiatus because of difficulties obtaining the lethal drugs used in them.

There have been 34 executions in the United States this year, the most since 2014, when 35 inmates were put to death.

Florida has carried out the most executions — 13 — followed by Texas with five and South Carolina and Alabama with four.

Twenty-eight of this year’s executions have been carried out by lethal injection, two by firing squad and four by nitrogen hypoxia, which involves pumping nitrogen gas into a face mask, causing the prisoner to suffocate.

The use of nitrogen gas as a method of capital punishment has been denounced by United Nations experts as cruel and inhumane.

The death penalty has been abolished in 23 of the 50 US states, while three others — California, Oregon and Pennsylvania — have moratoriums in place.

President Donald Trump is a proponent of capital punishment and on his first day in office called for an expansion of its use “for the vilest crimes.”

AFP

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Trump Gives Update On Israel, Hamas Peace Deal

Published

1 day ago

October 8, 2025

Editor

Trump Gives Update On Israel, Hamas Peace Deal

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he may go to the Middle East at the end of this week as a peace deal between Israel and Hamas in Gaza is “very close.”

Trump said during an event at the White House that he would “go to Egypt most likely” but that he would also consider going to war-torn Gaza.

“I may go there sometime toward the end of the week, maybe on Sunday, actually. And we’ll see, but there is a very good chance. Negotiations are going along very well,” Trump told reporters at the start of the event.

“Our final negotiation, as you know, is with Hamas, and it seems to be going well. So we’ll let you know, if that’s the case, we’ll be leaving probably on Sunday, maybe on Saturday.”

Near the end of the meeting, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio unexpectedly entered the room and handed Trump a note.

The US president told reporters the note said that “we’re very close to a deal” and that his presence was needed. “I have to go now to try and solve some problems in the Middle East,” he added.

Hamas and Israeli officials are having indirect talks in Egypt on a 20-point peace proposal unveiled by Trump to end the two-year-old war.

– ‘Very close’ –

Trump said as he began the event that he had come off the phone with officials in the Middle East, where his special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner had just joined discussions in Egypt.

“‘Peace for the Middle East,’ that’s a beautiful phrase, and we hope it’s going to come true, but it’s very close, and they’re doing very well,” Trump added.

“We have a great team over there, great negotiators, and they’re, unfortunately, great negotiators on the other side also. But it’s something I think that will happen.”

Asked if he would consider going to Gaza if a deal happens, Trump replied: “I would, yeah. I would. I might do that. I may do that. We haven’t decided exactly.”

Trump said he would insist on the release of hostages held by Hamas before traveling to the region.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said earlier that he had received “encouraging” signs and hailed the support of Trump.

Hamas too expressed “optimism” over the indirect discussions with its foe Israel.

Trump’s plan calls for a ceasefire, the release of all the hostages held in Gaza, Hamas’s disarmament and a gradual Israeli withdrawal from the territory.
AFP