From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Federal Government through the Head of Service (HoS) has approved for the Grades 06–13 to set for the 2022 Promotion Examination to be held on Saturday, December 10, across the 6 geopolitical zones and nationally.
According to a statement by the Deputy Director, Communications, Mohammed Ahmed, “In line with this, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan, has approved the release of the timetable for the conduct of the 2022 promotion examination for eligible candidates on salary Grade Levels 06-13 in the common pool of the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (HoCSF).”
The test will take place on Saturday, December 10, at the same locations by 11:00 am, 1:00 pm, and 3:00 pm for Grade Levels 06–07, 08–10, and 12–13, respectively. In the meantime, accreditation is scheduled to take place from Monday, December 5 through Thursday, December 8, between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm daily.
According to the Circular No. HCSF/CMO/EM/AOD/073/VOI. III/12, dated 25th November 2022 and signed by the Permanent Secretary, Career Management Office – OHCSF, Dr Marcus Ogunbiyi, only candidates on Salary Grade Levels 06 and 07 to 13, who must have spent a minimum of two and three years, respectively on their present grade levels by 31st December 2021, are eligible to sit for the examination.
The accreditation and the examination will take place, concurrently, at the 6 Federal Training Centres located in the 6 geo-political zones namely, Public Service Institute (PSIN), Abuja, Federal Secretariat, Bauchi, Federal Training Centre, Enugu, Federal Training Centre, Lagos and Federal Training Centre, Calabar.
“Eligible candidates are strongly advised to come for physical accreditation and examination at the designated centres with the originals and photocopies of the following documents for sighting and submission; Valid Staff Identity Card of their respective MDA, Birth Certificate/ Declaration of Age, Letter and Gazette of First Appointment, Letter and Gazette of Confirmation of Appointment, Letters of last three (3) Promotions, Academic Credentials, Two accurate coloured passport photographs, Letter of Transfer of Service (where applicable), Conversion Letter (if any) and Advancement Letter on or before 1/1/2019”, the statement read.
By Cindy Wooden, Catholic News Service
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — A daily examination of conscience is an important tool for recognizing where God is at work in one’s life and where “the evil spirit” tries to lead one astray, Pope Francis said.
“Learn to read in the book of our hearts what has happened during the day. Do it. Just two minutes, but it will do you good, I promise,” the pope told visitors at his weekly general audience Nov. 30.
After his talk, Pope Francis and the crowd were treated to a performance by the Black Blues Brothers, a group of five acrobats from Kenya. Wearing dark suits and ties, they did handsprings, created human pyramids and did tumbling and dance tricks while jumping rope to songs from the 1980 film “The Blues Brothers.”
Continuing his series of audience talks about discernment, the pope spoke again about “spiritual consolation” and about using a daily examination of conscience to distinguish between what just feels good and “genuine consolation,” which, he said, “is a sort of confirmation that we are doing what God wants of us, that we are walking on his paths, that is, on the paths of life, joy and peace.”
Relying on the teaching of St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits, the pope explained that consolation comes from knowing that a thought or impulse is good at its beginning, middle and end, because it inclines one to do something good, is motivated by love for God and others and leads to a sense of peace.
On the other hand, the pope explained, “the evil spirit” can sneak in and distract one from doing good or sow anger toward others or pride.
“When we talk about the ‘evil spirit,’ we are talking about the devil, you know,” the pope said. “The devil exists.”
Pope Francis used the example of the thought or urge to pray, accompanied by “affection for the Lord and my neighbor, it invites gestures of generosity, of charity: it is a good beginning.”
But, he said, if “every time I have to wash the dishes or clean the house, I have a strong urge to pray — this happens in convents” — then the impulse is not all good.
“Go wash the dishes, then go pray,” he said, because “prayer is not an escape from one’s tasks.”
And, the pope said, “if I begin to pray and, like the Pharisee in the parable, I tend to be self-satisfied and to disdain others, perhaps with a resentful and sour spirit, then these are signs that the evil spirit has used that thought as a key to enter into my heart and to transmit his feelings to me.”
In such cases, he said, “the consolation of prayer” is false, and one simply is “a peacock before God,” strutting his or her presumed holiness.
Then, Pope Francis said, one should ask, “Where does that thought take me? For example, it can happen that I work hard for a good and worthy task, but this pushes me to stop praying; I find I am increasingly aggressive and angry, I feel that everything depends on me, to the point of losing confidence in God. Here, evidently, there is the action of the evil spirit.”
The devil’s style is “devious, masked,” the pope said, and he usually starts with something important to the person and then twists it.
“The more we know ourselves, the more we sense where the evil spirit enters, his ‘passwords,’ the entrance to our heart,” Pope Francis said.
“Before ending your day, stop a bit and ask what has happened (that day) — not in the newspapers,” he said, but in one’s heart.
“Noticing what happens is important,” he said. “It is a sign that God’s grace is working in us, helping us to grow in freedom and awareness. We are not alone; the Holy Spirit is with us. Let’s see how things are going.”
As the fall semester comes to a close, students are preparing for the upcoming finals period, facing stress and navigating study resources for the exam-filled week.
With classes ending on Dec. 5, the three-day study period allows students to dedicate their time to studying and working on final projects, without the obligation of classes. Finals will begin on Dec. 9 and end on Dec. 17.
Students largely expressed feeling overwhelmed about their upcoming final exams, saying that they feel they have little time to prepare before the finals period begins.
“I have one [exam] the first Saturday and then also Sunday. It’s very front loaded this year,” said Emily Crites ’25. “ I feel like I’m still catching up, making sure I know all the material the first time around.”
Anjali Kulkarni grad echoed this sentiment, though she also appreciated the respite from work that Thanksgiving break provided.
“I think it gave me some time to take a step back, regroup and be more mentally prepared for what’s coming,” Kulkarni said, noting the additional stress of her upcoming graduation from her Masters of Engineering program this semester.
Kristen Moon ’25 also said she enjoyed taking time off from schoolwork, but she felt that the University-designated days for Thanksgiving break did not provide enough time for her to travel home.
“I did skip the Monday and Tuesday last week, so, with skipping, [the break] was enough, but I feel like if I had gone to classes on Monday and Tuesday, it wouldn’t have been,” Moon said. “I live in Oregon, so if I didn’t skip, there wouldn’t have been enough time to get home.”
As they begin to study for final exams, students said that additional office hours were a helpful resource.
“Office hours have always been really good for me — being able to go meet with my TAs, my professors,” said Grace Ryan ’24. “I make sure that I’m on track with everything, that I know what I’m preparing for.”
Kelly Jiang grad said she especially appreciates office hours from course teaching assistants, who help make the material more accessible.
“My TAs are great. They’re always there if you have questions, they respond to emails really quickly and they go over the material in a way that we understand a lot better than the professor does,” Jiang, who is concluding her first semester as a mechanical engineering Ph.D. student, said. “They’re a lot less intimidating to go [to] and ask questions.”
Despite this support from professors and course staff, some students expressed frustration at having to take multiple final exams in one day. During finals week, Moon and Crites both have two exams scheduled in one day, with one test in the morning and another at night.
“I wish the two tests in one day were illegal,” Moon said.
Ryan said she wished finals period allowed for more flexibility with rescheduling exams to avoid taking multiple in the same day, though she acknowledged the difficulty in providing this accommodation to every student.
“I know this is a very difficult thing — especially with big classes, because everyone has very different schedules — but I always end up having multiple exams on the same day, and I just wish there was some way around that,” Ryan said.
Although she expressed feeling stressed about finals week, Moon said she appreciates the support from her professors.
“There are a lot of study materials already out. I think [professors] want us to start preparing, and they support us in that way,” Moon said. “They’re encouraging us to study and do well. They’re trying to set us up for success.”
IT CAN be hard to know how to make the most of your the space in your bedroom if there isn't much of it to begin with.
But according to organising whizz Caroline Solomon you get make even the smallest bedroom bigger with a few simple tricks.
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She shared the tips on her TikTok account @neat.caroline and they're total game changers.
You might think smaller furniture is better if the room isn't very big, but this isn't always true.
Caroline said opting for a tall headboard can make a huge difference, since it acts as a focal point for the space.
Likewise, adding a large piece of art above the bed will create the illusion of more space, with the added bonus of looking posh.
The organising pro's third tip is to "choose furniture with legs to add an open feel."
Whether it's your bed or chest of drawers, the legs will let light stretch across the room, making it appear larger.
In general, Caroline reckons you should avoid hanging curtains in small bedrooms and instead stick to simple blinds.
That said, if you do want curtains, try hanging them a few inches higher than usual to add to the illusion of space.
And finally, stick to whites and other neutral shades so you don't overwhelm an already tiny room with too much detail.
That doesn't mean you bedroom has to be boring though.
Instead, experiment with textures and patterns that compliment each other.
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ALREADY overstretched budgets were hit hard when energy bills went up in October, and many are now worried about the cost of heating and lighting their homes this winter.
Consumers across the UK are looking for quick and easy ways to trim their bills as they battle with the cost of living crisis.
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The average energy bill is currently capped at £2,500 by the energy price guarantee (EPG), but it'll rise from April next year.
The good news is, some simple tricks can help save you hundreds of pounds.
The Sun spoke with Sam Barwell, who is an electrician at SB Electrical and also a Help me Fix engineer.
Below are his top tips to cut your electricity bill.
1. Add motion sensors to your lights
First and foremost, Sam suggested adding a PIR (passive infra-red) sensor to the lights in rooms in your house.
A PIR light is activated once movement is detected.
Sam said: “By installing a PIR, your lights won’t be on when you’re not there.
"This is a simple way to save energy and money.
"It also means you don’t need to remember to turn your lights off when you leave a room.”
You can install a motion sensor into an existing lighting circuit, as long as you have access to the wiring.
Sam said adding a motion sensor is just like adding a switch - it will break the circuit until the motion is detected.
Just keep in mind that sensors will need to be fitted by an electrician, and you'll have to fork out cash for them too.
A specific indoor motion sensor light typically sets you back from £30, while adding a motion sensor to an existing light costs from £10.
Sam added that smart heating systems, such as Hive or Nest, can also make good sense.
These can help control energy by remotely switching lights and heating on and off.
Again, note that there are considerable set-up costs to consider.
Equally, if you’ve already got one of these systems, make sure you’re using them properly so you can reap the benefits in terms of savings on your bills.
2. Change to LED fittings
Research from Currys shows that lighting comes in at around 16% of the total electrical use in the average home.
While it’s hard to be conservative with lighting in the winter, there are simple swaps you can make.
Sam said: “It’s worth changing every light in your home to a more efficient LED fitting.
"This means you will only be using a fraction of the energy of a normal bulb.”
According to the Energy Saving Trust, if you replace all the bulbs in your home with LED lights, you could save £55 a year on electricity bills.
One savvy mum recently revealed how she got LED lights from a local pound shop, costing her just £1 each.
3. Unplug the charger, not just the phone
We may have grown familiar with the idea of not leaving our mobiles charging all night, but Sam said we also need to unplug our chargers.
This will save on wasted energy.
While you’re at it, don’t forget to switch off other electronics, such as TVs and game consoles.
Unplugging all these items will help you save – and especially if you’ve got a lot of older devices.
By not leaving electronics on standby, you could save up to £40 a year on your bills.
4. Invest in a heat pump tumble dryer
Sam said it’s worth spending money on a heat pump tumble dryer, with prices starting at around a few hundred pounds.
“There will be an upfront expense, but you’ll be able to go from a 2kW machine to a 400w machine, meaning you’re using 80% less energy,” said Sam.
“It will take a little longer to dry your clothes, but it’s worth it.”
You can make further savings by emptying the dryer filter regularly.
This will stop your machine from being inefficient.
According to Which?, the average heat pump dryer costs around £68 per year to do three loads a week, with the additional energy used due to blocked filters adding around £34 to the annual cost.
It'll save you £102 a year compared to a condenser dryer, meaning it'll take a few years for the investment to pay off.
5. Get familiar with energy labels
Sam pointed out that as power-consuming items have become more efficient, energy labels have changed.
Under the old system, products were rated from A+++ to G.
However, as most products were falling into the top two or three classes (A+ to A+++), it got difficult to identify which ones were most efficient.
Under the new system, which appeared in shops and online from March 2021, there is a new, simpler range, from A to G.
This should make it easier to understand the features of any new appliance you purchase.
In addition, energy labels will feature a QR code, giving you access to product information.
When upgrading or trading your tech in, be sure to check the labels.
Findings from Currys show that by choosing products in the best available energy class, households can save up to £145 a year on electricity bills, compared to using older models.
6. Safety first
Always tread carefully when taking steps to try and cut costs.
Sam said: “Ensure you and your family are safe when trying to save money on the leccy bill.”
Make sure you get an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) which ensures all electrical installations in your home are in safe working order.
And, for all but the most basic of electrical jobs (such as wiring a socket), get the work carried out by a professional approved through a scheme, such as NICEIC.
Equally, rather than spend hundreds of pounds on a callout for something which might not require an electrician actually making a trip to your home, use Help me Fix, a service that connects you to tradespeople over video.
An electrician has also revealed the 10 most dangerous DIY mistakes lots of people make at home.
Plus, a plumber has shared an easy boiler trick that will help you save money.
RECKON you're an App Store genius? You might be missing a few tricks.
Here are three App Store tips that even long-time iPhone owners might not know about.
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Turn on Automatic Updates
Keeping your apps updated is important.
It gets you new features and protects you from bugs.
You might be manually updating your apps – or not updating them at all – which is a bad idea.
So consider turning Automatic Updates on for your App Store apps.
Go into Settings > App Store and then look for the Automatic Downloads section.
Then toggle App Updates to the green ON position.
You can also toggle Automatic Downloads on for mobile below too, if you've got loads of data to spare.
It's even possible to set mobile download limits – maybe you're OK with small updates, but not giant ones.
If you don't let any of these changes, you can turn them off at any time.
Offload unused apps
Another clever App Store feature is Offload Unused Apps.
This does what it says on the tin: it removes apps from your iPhone that you don't use regularly.
Importantly you won't lose any data, as the personal contents of those apps gets backed up on the cloud.
So you'll retain settings and files within the apps.
But the physical apps will vanish until you want to use them again, freeing up space.
Go into Settings > App Store and then scroll down to Offload Unused Apps.
"Reinstalling the app will reinstate your data if the app is still available in the App Store," Apple explained.
If you're a die-hard iPhone user, you could free up dozens of gigabytes of storage.
Check your subscriptions
If you've had an iPhone for a few years, there's a good chance you've subscribed to a service or two.
It's so easy to do that you might not even remember doing it.
Subscriptions can quickly add up, and you could find yourself paying out significant sums each month.
Thankfully you can quickly see which subscriptions you have in the App Store – and cancel them if you don't want to keep paying.
Open the App Store then tap on your profile picture in the top-right corner.
Now choose Subscriptions and review your list under Active to see what you're forking out for, when your billing date is, and whether it's worth cancelling the membership.
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AFTER a speedy three months from announcement to release, Need for Speed Unbound it here.
It seems this was all part of the plan though, and the fans seem to be really enjoying the open-world arcade racer.
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We’ve put a decent chunk of time into the game, so we know how to make our way around.
If you’re looking to get into Need for Speed Unbound, check out our tips and tricks.
Need for Speed Unbound tips: Fast off the start
The start is the most important part of each race in Need for Speed Unbound, so it’s important to know how to master it.
A small bar above your speedometer will let you know the sweet spot for how much to rev your engine.
Each car has a different pinch point, so make sure you take note with each vehicle change.
Need for Speed Unbound tips: The joy of drifting
Drifting is another important aspect to each race, and you’ll need to be proactive and take some risks.
Pulling off good drifts, gives you extra nitro boost, which is another important strategy.
Drifting-themed events that pop up on the map are also a good way to earn loot.
Need for Speed Unbound tips: Don’t go with the flow
Nitro is necessary for overtaking and staying ahead at tough moments, but two other mechanics can help in these moments.
Follow closely behind your opponent to draft for a speed boost, or drive directly into oncoming traffic.
This second one is more risky, but offers big boosts the longer you can hold your mettle.
Need for Speed Unbound tips: Save your nitro
Always make sure you keep some nitro back for the last lap, and this is when your opponents will supply it their all.
Despite dominating an entire race, it’s very easy to come second or worse when another racer takes you at the finish line.
Not only should you save your nitro for the last lap, but even for the final stretch.
Need for Speed Unbound tips: Don’t poke the bear
While farming police chases can help you make money during the daytime, at night by igniting your Heat System, you can make them very aggressive.
Always keep less than $5k on you in order to prevent you from losing large amounts if things go awry.
Also, every time someone asks for a lift, supply it to them to unlock extra shelters, to deposit cash.
Need for Speed Unbound tips: Unbound exploration
Like Forza Horizon 5, Need for Speed Unbound aims for an open world filled with collectibles and goodies.
It’s not as packed as the aforementioned, but destroying billboards and bear mascots will get you some quick cash.
Written by Paolo Sirio and Georgina Young on behalf of GLHF.
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