Posted By:
Unknown
on 9/20/2013 05:48:00 pm
There have emerged indications that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) may call of its ongoing strike within next two weeks.This information appeared after a Thursday closed-door meeting with the ASUU members and Nigerian Vice-President, Namadi Sambo, in Abuja.
The parties did not disclose the details of the meeting, which lasted for almost two hours.
However, ASUU National President, Dr. Nasir Faggae, told State House Correspondents that the union would make its position known after the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting scheduled for Saturday, September 21.In turn, the supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wikehad assured Nigerians that students would soon return to school as the FG stands ready to shift ground.
An insider source who wanted to say anonymous, disclosed that going by the new offers made by the FG, the strike might end within the next two weeks because the FG had agreed to release fund to revitalize the university system.
“The meeting went well, the vice-president made some new offers that were different from what was on ground before. For instance, the Federal Government had agreed to start the injection of revitalisation fund into the university system starting with N100bn this year and N150bn in 2014 and this will continue until the university system is solid enough to stand,” the source said.
It will be reminded that ASUU has been on an indefinite strike since June 30. The lecturers protest against the FG’s failure to honour a 2009 agreement signed between it and ASUU in 2009 pertaining to issues of university funding and improvement of infrastructure in the sector.
HISTORY OF THE STRIKE
ASUU has been on strike since June 30.
The Vice President Namadi Sambo has, in a bid to end the continuous gridlock in the dialogue between the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU and federal government, taken over the negotiation process. The government’s negotiation team was formerly headed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Pius Anyim.
For the first time since the commencement of the over 10-week-old strike action by the union, the Vice President met with the leadership of the union at the Presidential Villa on Thursday.
The meeting was held behind closed doors.
Nigerian Universities have been shut down since June 30 as a result of federal government’s failure to honour an agreement signed between it and ASUU in 2009 bothering on issues of university funding and improvement of infrastructure in the sector.
Speaking to journalists at the Presidential Villa after the closed door meeting, the ASUU President, Nasir Fagge, said that he was taking back a “message given to him at the meeting for his members” and that Nigerians would have to wait for the response of his members on the way forward.
“We have had a meeting with the Vice President and he has given us a message to our members, and we said that as the messengers that we are, we are going to deliver the message faithfully to our members and then they will take the decision.”
According to him, “I know Nigerians are expecting a solution to the strike, we also want a solution, but I have been given a message to our members. The message is not for Nigerians, it is for our members”.
“If I deliver the message, our principal will decide and we will get back to the ministry of education within this week,” he added, saying the union would get back to the education minister on its stance on the government’s latest offer.
The federal government had offered N100 billion and N30 billion for infrastructure development in various universities and payment of verified earned allowances of lecturers respectively. It is not clear if the government made an improved offer for the lecturers whose only demand is that government implements fully the 2009 agreement.
The Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike, who was also at the meeting, explained that the meeting had been convened to find a lasting solution to the crisis.
“One is quit hopeful that ASUU is committed, they have the passion and that there is the need for us to move the education sector forward.
“ASUU coming to discuss means that they are committed on their own part and that the federal government is also committed. We have gone very far, we believe that in no distance time, you will have a very good result,” he said.
Also on the ASUU delegation were two former Presidents of ASUU, Dipo Fasina and Abdullahi Sule-Kano.
Other members of the government’s delegation included the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Julius Okojie; as well as the Vice Chancellors of Bayero University Kano (BUK), University of Ibadan (UI) and Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) Bauchi, Abdulrasheed Abubakar, Isaac Adewole, and Muhammed Muhammed respectively.
Posted By:
Unknown
on 9/20/2013 01:28:00 pm
Obianuju Catherine Udeh aka Dj Switch has emerge as the winner of the first edition of Glo X Factor.
Obianuju was crowned the winner after the grand finale.
Obianuju went home with a huge $150,000 prize money (₦24 million), an SUV and a recording contract with SONY music.
you got the swagg switch
Posted By:
Unknown
on 9/20/2013 12:45:00 pm
Mr YOMI Akinyemi
A Typical Planner
HE IS COOL AND DOWN TO EARTH AND HARDWORKING
ABOUT
Work and Education
University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos
Lagos, Nigeria
Imota Community Grammar School, Imota
Class of 2004 · Lagos, Nigeria
Living
Lagos, Nigeria
Current City
Imota, Lagos, Nigeria
Hometown
Basic Information
Birthday
November 5
Gender
Male
Interested In
STUDENT WELFARE,PLANNING AND REGIONALISM,BRAINSTORMING,CREATIVITY,ACCOUNTABILITY,SPORTS,ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
Religious View
Christianity
Contact Information
Email
yomi.akinyemi.7@facebook.com
Favorite Quotations
Fear of God is the beginning wisdom
Posted By:
Unknown
on 9/19/2013 03:29:00 pm
Obabiyi Aisha Ajibola being crowned as Muslimah World
Obabiyi Aisha Ajibola, tearfully prayed and recited Koranic verses as she won a world beauty pageant exclusively for Muslim women in the Indonesian capital Wednesday, a riposte to the Miss World contest that has sparked hardline anger.
The 20 finalists, who were all required to wear headscarves, put on a glittering show for the final of Muslimah World, strolling up and down a catwalk in elaborately embroidered dresses and stilettos.
But the contestants from six countries were covered from head to foot, and as well as beauty they were judged on how well they recited Koranic verses and their views on Islam in the modern world.
After a show in front of an audience of mainly religious scholars and devout Muslims, a panel of judges picked Obabiyi Aishah Ajibola from Nigeria as the winner.
While the event in a Jakarta shopping mall paled in comparison to Miss World on the resort island of Bali, in which scores of contestants are competing, Ajibola was nevertheless overwhelmed.
Upon hearing her name, the 21-year-old, a student of the University of Lagos, knelt down and prayed, then wept as she recited a Koranic verse.
She said it was “thanks to almighty Allah” that she had won the contest. She received 25 million rupiah ($2,200) and trips to Mecca and India as prizes.
Ajibola told AFP before the final that the event “was not really about competition”.
“We’re just trying to show the world that Islam is beautiful,” she said.
Organisers said the pageant challenged the idea of beauty put forward by the British-run Miss World pageant, and also showed that opposition to the event could be expressed non-violently.
Eka Shanti, who founded the pageant three years ago after losing her job as a TV news anchor for refusing to remove her headscarf, bills the contest as “Islam’s answer to Miss World”.
“This year we deliberately held our event just before the Miss World final to show that there are alternative role models for Muslim women,” she told AFP.
“But it’s about more than Miss World. Muslim women are increasingly working in the entertainment industry in a sexually explicit way, and they become role models, which is a concern.”
Hosted by Dewi Sandra, an Indonesian actress and pop star who recently hung up her racy dresses for a headscarf, the pageant featured both Muslim and pop music performances, including one about modesty, a trait the judges sought in the winner.
The pageant, which also featured bright Indonesian Islamic designer wear, is a starkly different way of protesting Miss World than the approach taken by Islamic radicals.
Snowballing protest movement
Thousands have taken to the streets in Indonesia in recent weeks to protest Miss World, denouncing the contest as “p****graphy” and burning effigies of the organisers.
Despite a pledge by Miss World organisers to drop the famous bikini round, radical anger was not appeased and the protest movement snowballed.
The government eventually bowed to pressure and ordered the whole pageant be moved to the Hindu-majority island of Bali, where it opened on September 8.
Later rounds and the September 28 final were to be held in and around Jakarta, where there is considerable hardline influence.
But there are still fears that extremists may target the event — the US, British and Australian embassies in Jakarta have warned their nationals in recent days of the potential for radical attacks.
More than 500 contestants competed in online rounds to get to the Muslimah World final in Indonesia, one of which involved the contenders comparing stories of how they came to wear the headscarf.
The contest was first held in 2011 under a different name and was only open to Indonesians, Shanti said, but after the media began comparing it to Miss World, it was rebranded as a Muslim alternative to the world-famous pageant.
Because of its popularity, organisers accepted foreign contestants this year for the first time, with Iran, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Nigeria and Indonesia represented.
Posted By:
Unknown
on 9/17/2013 11:42:00 am
If you think marriage is all about those nice romantic moments, you need a reality check! Married life is a kaleidoscope of moments, some romantic and some embarrassing and awkward. But yes, it is these ‘Oops!’ moments that add the much needed spice to a marriage. Years down the line, these moments will make you burst into laughter. After all, the kind of bond you build with your spouse largely depends on moments that are less than perfect.
If you are already married, you will relate to this list. In case you are not, there are some moments that you might want to avert! So, take a look:
1. Awkward kiss
The awkward kiss tops the list, and is experienced by almost everyone who is married. The awkward moment when you are about to kiss your partner, she/he suddenly moves and you plant the kiss on the nose instead. There are so many variations to the moment; each of you might have experienced some version of it sometime or other.
2. Loud fart
Oops! Another very common awkward moment is when you fart really loud. It just gets more embarrassing when you are in a more intimate position with your spouse, especially in the beginning stages of your marriage. However, as you continue living with your spouse, in happiness or despair or those farting moments, such moments don’t seem awkward anymore
3. Called the wrong name
Calling out your spouse by an ex’s name is not only one of the most awkward moments, but also a major goof up that you can make. The scenario can be even worse, if you do it while making out. In fact, such a moment is downright catastrophic!
4. A walk in the toilet
The relationship that a husband and wife share is definitely quite intimate. But, your spouse walking in the toilet, while you are using it, could be an awkward moment for both of you. This is one visual aid that you would definitely not want in your memory banks. Keep doors locked well and save yourself from the embarrassment.
5. Kids march in during make-out session
So you are not only married, but also have kids. That does not mean that romance is dead. However, a kid marching in while you are making out passionately is a definite awkward moment. So, make sure you have complete privacy before indulging in some steamy action!
6. The in-law talk
Imagine, you walk right into the house foul-mouthing your in-laws to your spouse, thinking she/he is the only one in there. But, you are unpleasantly surprised, or rather shocked to see your in-law emerging from nowhere into the hall. Bingo! I guess, ‘speechless’ can be the only reaction in such a scenario.
Posted By:
Unknown
on 9/17/2013 11:22:00 am
Bills Of Quantities (Senior Lecturer note)
BILLS OF QUANTITIES
BY
The bills of quantities is a form of document which sets out the quantities and descriptions of the items of
labour, materials and plant required to erect and complete a building or other works in a systematic manner.
The preliminary section of the bill sets out the practical and contractual conditions of the project, particulars of
the type of contract to be used and also the details of general matters, which may affect the price of the work
together with project overheads. Project overheads are items that cannot be attributed to any particular
measured work section. The measured items are grouped in appropriate sections and each section starts with a number of preamble clauses.
CONTENTS OF THE BILLS OF QUANTITIES
The principal use of the bills of quantities is to obtain competitive tenders and for this purpose bills of quantities
should be prepared to a recognised Method of Measurement to standardise the bills.
Bills of quantities, prepared in accordance with a Standard Method of Measurement, fully describe and
accurately represent the works to be executed and this provides a uniform basis for competitive tendering.
During the construction of the project the client and the contractor use the bills as the basis for financial
management.
Bills of Quantities may consist some or all of the followings:
Bill Nr. 1. Preliminaries.
Bill Nr. 2. Preambles.
Bill Nr. 3. Measured Works
(a). Carcass - I. Foundations (Substructure)
ll. Frame (Columns & Beams)
lll. External & Internal Walls
lV. Partitions
V. Floors
Vl. Roofs
(b). Finishing - I. External & Internal Finishing (Walls, Floors & Ceilings)
II. Windows
III. Doors including openings without joinery
IV. Fixtures & Sundries
V. Stairs & Lifts
VI. Plumbing & Engineering Services
(c). External Works - I. Drainage
II. Roads, Paths, Site Layouts, Outbuildings etc.
(d). Spot Items - These items are alteration and repair items of a building.
Bill Nr. 4. Provisional Quantities
Bill Nr. 5. Prime Cost & Provisional Sums
Bill Nr. 6. Contingency Sums
Bill Nr. 7. General Summary
2
PURPOSES OF BILLS OF QUANTITIES
The bills of quantities are in use to the construction team for different purposes at different stages and it is used
in different ways. They are as follows:
To or by the Client
(a). The priced bills of quantities provide statistical information on project.
(b). A reasonable contract sum can be obtained through competitive tendering.
(c). It provides the basis for the preparation of cash flow during the construction.
To or by the Client’s/Consultant’s Quantity Surveyor
(a). Cost Analysis is prepared from priced bills of quantities and used to estimate the future projects.
(b). Priced bills of quantities used for Interim Valuation.
(c). Priced bills form the basis on which the final account is settled.
(d). Bill rates provide a good basis for valuing variations.
(e). Used for negotiating further contract. It may be a separate or a continuation contract.
To or by the Contractor or his Quantity Surveyor
(a). Provides a uniform basis for pricing of competitive tenders.
(b). Used to calculate the quantity of materials.
(c). Use for the preparation of the cash flow.
(d). Use to prepare the construction programme.
(e). Provides a good basis for the settlement of Domestic Sub-contractors’ claims.
To or by the Clerks of Works
(a). Use to control the quality of materials and standards of workmanship.
ESSENTIALS IN A GOOD QUANTITY SURVEYOR
The essentials in a good Quantity Surveyor are:
1. An ability to describe clearly, fully precisely the requirements of the Architect and arrange the bills of
quantities so that the builder’s estimator can quickly, easily, and accurately arrive at the estimated cost
of the project.
2. It is important that the Surveyor should be able to write clearly in language that will not be
misunderstood, and must have sound knowledge of building materials and construction, and of customs
prevailing in the industry.
3. The surveyor must be careful and accurate in making calculations, have systematic and orderly mind
and be able to visualise the drawings and details.
4. Requires a detailed knowledge of contractor’s prices, experience of the building process and an ability
to foresee the likely effect of economics trends to give Cost Analysis.
5. A certain amount of Legal knowledge (i.e. The Law of Contract) to deal with contracts.
3
PRODUCTION OF BILLS OF QUANTITIES
There are several techniques of preparing Bills of Quantities. The most important techniques in current use are
as follows:
(a). Traditional Method. (This method is also known as the Group System or London Method).
This system provides the “taker off” with a logical system of measurement designed to promote accurate and
efficient taking off. The work is measured in series of groups, each representing a particular section of the
building without regard to the order in which items will finally appear in the bill. As the sequence of
measurement is not related to the order of the bill the “working up” process must involve the preparation of an
abstract to collect and arrange the items in the order necessary for writing the draft bill. This system is mostly
used in the examinations.
(b). Billing Direct. (This method is also known as Trade-by-Trade System or Northern Method).
This method involves “taking off” by trades, in order of billing, without the necessity for an abstract and transfers
the measured items from the dimension sheets to the bill direct. Each item is taken off as a separate entity in
the order in which it will eventually be billed including all relevant deductions thereby reducing time and lowering
costs of preparing bills of quantities. This system is suitable when the work is relatively straightforward and the
number of items limited.
DIVISIONS OF BILL PREPARATION
There are several methods of preparing bills of quantities. The traditional method of preparation of bills of
quantities can be broken down into two main processes.
Taking off:
This involves the measurement of dimensions, scaled or read from the drawings and entered in a recognised
form of specially ruled paper called “Dimension Paper” and the composition of clear and concise description
sufficiently detailed to allow the accurate pricing of the works.
Working up:
This process can be divided into two stages as follows:
Squaring: This comprises squaring the dimensions and transferring the resultant lengths,
areas and volumes to the abstract.
Abstracting: The squared dimensions are arranged in convenient order for billing and
reduced to the recognised units of measurement.
The other processes are:
Editing: The editor must check and make adjustments in the abstract, prior to printing
as the draft bill is written direct from the abstract.
Writing the bill: This process involves the listing in full, the various items of work, making up
the complete project with the quantities involved in a suitable order, under work
sections or elemental headings.
QUANTITIES AS PART OF THE CONTRACT
When bills of quantities form part of the contract documents, the contract provides that the quantities of work
comprised in the contract, shall be that, set out in the bills of quantities. In such cases the builder is expected to
do and the employer to neither pay for more nor less than the quantities given, an arrangement, which is fair to
both parties. It will be seen how important accuracy is in the preparation of the bill, how a substantial error might
lead a building owner to enter into a contract which involved a sum considerably beyond what was
contemplated.
4
STANDARD METHOD OF MEASUREMENT (SMM)
The First Revision of the Method of Measurement of Building Works (Sri Lanka Standards 573:1999) sets
out rules for the measurement and description of building works. The SMM (SL) is a document, which provides
not only a uniform basis for measuring building work but also embodies the essentials of good practice. If all the
bills of quantities are prepared in accordance with these rules then all parties concerned are aware of what is
included and what is to be assumed. Without the use of such a set of rules, the quantities in the Bills of
Quantities can vary widely.
Sometimes in practice, it is more appropriate to depart from the rules in the SMM (SL), in which case this must
be stated in the description of the item. Generally it is stressed that the principles of measurement as laid down
in the SMM (SL) should be followed as the more deviations that take place then the less uniform a document is
provided, thereby creating possible uncertainty. Therefore, especially for examination purposes the use of the
SMM (SL) can be recommended.
REQUIREMENTS FOR ACCURACY
Whatever the method adopted for bill preparation, the requirement for accuracy is the same. For example:
1. Work shall be measured net as fixed in position overlaps. (General Rule 4.1)
2. Dimensions used in calculating quantities shall be taken to the nearest 10 mm. (i.e. 5 mm and less than
5 mm shall be disregarded). (General Rule 4.2). All dimensions shall be recorded to two decimal places
and waste calculations are to three decimal places.
3. Quantities measured in tonnes shall be given to two decimal places. (General Rule 4.3).
4. Other quantities shall be given in the nearest whole except that any quantity less than ten shall be given
as to the nearest first decimal. (General Rule 4.4).
5. Voids or openings, which are wholly within the boundaries of measured areas and voids or openings
wholly at the boundaries of measured piers, columns and similar members, shall always be the subject
of deduction, irrespective of size. (General Rule 4.5).
6. Items can be measured within a range of stated limits.
7. Minimum deductions for voids.
8. Averaging or an interpolation of levels may be required for the measurement of excavation.
Due to problems with reprographics and the inherent inaccuracy of the process, scaling drawings should be
avoided whenever possible. However, where dimensions are stated on drawings, there is no excuse for
measurements being anything other than correct. A bill of quantities shall be as accurate as reflection of the
drawings and information available at the time of measurement as possible.
QUALITY CONTROL
In the context of bills of quantities, under most form of building contract any error is not at the risk of the
tenderer but will be deemed a variation and liable for adjustment in the final account. Therefore, there is an
obligation to ensure that the bills of quantities are as accurate as possible by applying checks on both the
process and procedure in an effort to avoid or correct errors at the appropriate stage.
Check list.
1. Create a drawing register for each project to ensure that only the latest revised drawings are used. A
complete list of these drawings shall be incorporated in the preliminaries and shall form a part of the
tender document.
2. Check that there is sufficient information for taking off process. If not make use of Query Sheets, which
should be sent to Architect/Engineer in duplicate, for reply, with a copy kept in file.
3. Scales on drawings and the sum of internal and external dimensions shall be arithmetically checked.
5
4. Any separate schedules and/or specification notes shall be compared with annotations on the drawings
and especially with regard to references and the number of items.
5. Check the general information to be included in the Preliminaries.
6. The name of the project must appear on every sheet, which shall also be numbered and dated.
7. Offer the taking-off in a clear, un-cramped presentation and write the dimensions so as to avoid
introducing errors:
(a). A taking off list is essential with items being marked through once they have been measured.
(b). Annotate everything for clarity and make side notes for ease of reference and always use
figured dimensions in preference to scaling.
(c). All sundry calculations shall be calculated in waste so that the arithmetic can be checked and
others can follow the taking-off. Mental calculations cannot be checked.
(d). Dimensions shall never be erased, obliterated or altered. To correct dimensions neatly cross
them out, write NIL alongside, taking care to identify clearly the extent of the correction and rewrite
correctly.
(e). All figures must be clearly written in the correct column.
(f). To avoid repetition of dimensions, use is made of the timesing column whereby they can be
multiplied. Great care must be taken when timesing or dotting on so as to prevent squaring
errors, particularly when dealing with fractions. When writing fractions in the timesing column,
a horizontal line rather than a diagonal slash must be used to avoid any confusion with
timesing.
(g). When an item or dimension is to be deducted it must be prefaced with the word Deduct
(abbreviated Ddt.) and also subsequent deductions are marked similarly. The item or
dimension immediately following the deduction shall be preferred with the word Add.
(h). Do not use ditto at the head of a new page or the head of a column.
(j). Centre lines used for a number of related items shall be checked carefully.
(k). Rough arithmetical checks shall be made on the overall quantities, which are interrelated.
(l). Read dimensions through for any obvious errors before offering them up for squaring and the
person who squares the dimensions shall first check waste calculations to ensure that in the
transfer of totals to the dimension column no errors have occurred. If an error is found it shall
be referred to the taker-off prior to adjustment.
(m). Preamble details shall be checked and any outdated or obsolete references amended. When
measured work, specifically refer to a particular Preamble Clause, it shall be checked that they
relate to the correct item.
(n). Careful reading over and a final editing of the typed draft bill by an experienced Quantity
Surveyor will provide the last opportunity for corrections prior to printing and may reveal errors
which have missed in the earlier checks.
Differences of techniques between individual practices or Surveyors shall not be assumed as errors.
Contrasting circumstances and differing customs mean that not every eventuality can be anticipated.
