News

Gov’s Wife moves to eradicate illiteracy in Rivers

Published

16 years ago

September 21, 2009

Education is widely acknowledged as a vital instrument of change national development and a catalyst for economic development and it also believe that it is only when people are equipped with skills, abilities and competencies that they could catalyze development in all its ramification.

This might not be unconnected to the fact why nations around the world are investing seriously in education to enhance their political consciousness, socio-economic engineering and national integration.

But developing countries like Nigeria according to a university don with Niger Delta University, Dr. Idumange Agreen is not investing up to 13 percent of its budget into education hence the challenges and problems facing the country.

The university don who spoke in Port Harcourt recently at an occasion organised by Empowerment support Initiative (ESI) to mark the 2009 International Literacy day said for education to take its pride in driving the country’s economy, the government must invest in education.

Agreen at the event noted that the crusade against illiteracy in Nigeria has gone a long way as he pointed out that the New National Policy on Education (2004) has made provision for adult literacy and non-formal education .

He disclosed that the introduction of Universal Primary Education scheme in 1976 was another attempt to bringing mass literacy to the country but he however regretted that the projects failed due to mismanagement and poor implementation which was occasioned by shortage of funds.

Research also revealed that 776 million adult lack minimum literacy skills, a good proportion of the figure are women while 75 million children are out of school but precisely 11 million Nigerians are out of school.

Some of them are street vendors, beggars, scavengers, car washers and pure water sellers in an unhealthy environment.

Investigations also revealed that such exposure (child labour) affects the acquisition of basic education as it affects the ability of children to attend school and tap the benefit of schooling but rather such children usually end up becoming armed robbers and criminals in the society thereby constituting problems for the government.

According to Agreen, “ working children hardly have time, money and energy to attend school, in Nigeria over eight million children combine schooling and work; this category of children work to pay their fees and often skip classes because of the demands of their drudgery”.

He added, “Children participation as manifested in school enrolment has declined from 86.2 percent in 1993 to 70.3% in 2000 and drop out rate is estimated at 15%.Statistics show that only 64 % of students make it to basic 5 while 43.5% continue to basic 9 while children from rural areas and urban poor live without quality education hence they continue to wallow in the vicious circle of poverty”.

Piqued by these anomalies, the wife of the Rivers State Governor, Mrs. Judith Amaechi has moved to establish 319 nursery schools to be built in all designated wards in the state.

The target according to the governor’s wife was to make available high quality start-up education for children in the rural areas who ordinarily would have access to low quality education or no education at all.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 2009 International Literacy day organised by ESI , a non- governmental organisation initiated by the governor’s wife to provide practical assistance in development and welfare of women and children, the ESI’s administrator, Mr. Nowa Omorogbe explained that the school would be provided with requisite infrastructures and trained teachers .

Omorogbe disclosed that already 300 children have been admitted in the first phase of the school founded by the governor’s wife.

He added that organisation’s vision was to reverse economic disadvantages of the rural poor, put food on their table and increase productivity by sharpening their skills which will bring development in the society.

While interacting with various NGO’s , civil Liberties Organisation and scholars at the event, The Special Media Assistant to the Governor’s wife, Mr. Dike Bekwele,urged the NGO’s to work hard and come out with their best to assist in making literacy available for all.

News

NELFUND Warns Students Against Fake Loan Portal

Published

3 days ago

November 19, 2025

The Tide

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund has alerted the public to a fraudulent message circulating online, claiming that the NELFUND Student Loan Registration Portal is open.

The message directs applicants to a third-party link (http://gvly.xyz/Nelfund-Student-Loan, which NELFUND confirms is unauthorised and fraudulent.

In a post obtained from its X handle, yesterday, NELFUND urged students and the general public not to click on the link or provide any personal information, emphasising that the official loan registration portal is only accessible through the Fund’s verified channels.

The agency reminded applicants to exercise caution online and to report any suspicious links or communications claiming to be from NELFUND.

“Applicants are encouraged to always verify official announcements via NELFUND’s official website and social media channels,” NELFUND said.

This advisory comes as part of NELFUND’s ongoing efforts to safeguard students and ensure the integrity of the student loan application process.

News

Eastern Port Police Boss Promises On Crime-Free Operations

Published

3 days ago

November 19, 2025

The Tide

The new Commissioner of Police Eastern, Ports Command, Mr Tijani Fatai has promised to ensure a crime- free ports operations in the zone.
He said effective policing will be mounted across the ports in the zone in tackling the high rate of community unrest, activities of port rats and other social vices.
Fatai while speaking to newsmen shortly after taking over as the 17th commissioner said he wants to be remembered as a peace maker during his tenure as Commissioner of Police in the Eastern Ports Command.
According to him,’’the community policing is the sure way of addressing most conflicts and other social vices bedeviling our society today and I will explore it to its fullest” .
The Commissioner also assured officers of the rank and file of improved welfare whoch he described as a cardinal objective of the present efforts of the Inspector General of Police (IGP).
He said,” the Inspector General of Police has sent me to assure you all of welfare, promotions as and when due,no officers particular rank and file will be left behind in the coming months.
Fatai before his recent posting was an operational officer,who spent most of his years with the Police Mobile Force (PMF) where he served as Unit Commander (UC) and Commander, PMF.
Before his redeployment as a Commissioner of Police,(CP), he was the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Operations, DCP, Operations, Lagos State Command.

News

Kalabaris Celebrate New Year Amid Fanfare

Published

3 days ago

November 19, 2025

The Tide

Thousands of Kalabari indigenes from Akuku- Toru, Asari-Toru, Degema and Port Harcourt City Local Government Areas last Sunday gathered at Elem Kalabari in Degema Local Government Area to celebrate what they said is the Kalabari new year amidst pomp and pageantry
According to stakeholders, the event which started over 200 years ago normally falls on the 16th of November every year.
The of this year’s celebration which was organised by Kalabari Renaissance Foundation was “Our Heritage, Honouring Our Waters and Renewing Our Spirit.”
Stakeholders said this year’s celebration was symbolic as it was holding at Elem Kalabari which is the home of the Kalabari people.
The event also featured various masquerade displays from cultural troupes within Kalabari and beyond.
Speaking on the significance of the event, the Amanyanabo of Elem Kalabari (The Source), HRH Mujahid Asari Dokubo, said the celebration signaled a return to the traditional values of the Kalabari people and the need for self-recreation.
“It’s not just about celebration, It’s about recreating ourselves, bringing us back from death.
“The organisation that has come to take over this celebration – Renaissance – really fits the description of what ought to happen to us as a people.
“It’s not just Kalabari; it’s about all of us and our values. We have to look at ourselves and our values,” he said.
Dokubo called on all Kalabari citizens to join hands together to revive their traditional values and heritage in order not to lose their cultural identity and spiritual trajectory.
Also speaking, Harry Awolayeofori MacMorrison, Chief Administrator and Chairman of Kalabari Renaissance Foundation, organizsers of the Kalabari new year festival, said the event marks the beginning of a new calendar year for the Kalabari people, after November 15 of every year when the tide cleanses the pollution from the Sombreiro River inflows, describing it as a renewal of the Kalabari people.
“It’s the renewal of the people. Kalabari area is saline environment and at a time, the Sombreiro River comes in and pollutes the river.
“On the 15th November, across Kalabari, the tide turns and takes all the fresh water that polluted the saline river back to the Sombreiro River
. “On the 15th is the end of the year. Normally when there is an end, there is a new beginning. On the 16th (November) is the beginning of the Kalabari calendar,” he said.
Awolayeofori Mac Morrison said the Kalabari communities had been holding the new year festival separately in the past until the Renaissance Foundation decided to champion a unified celebration to enable them forge a common front of trado-cultural and socio-economic development across the entire territory.
He said last year’s event held at Abalama while they decided to bring this year’s celebration to Elem Kalabari because of it significance to the Kalabari nation.
Also speaking, a member of the planning committee and media lead, Journalist Ibiba Don Pedro, said there was need to reawaken the consciousness of their people on the need to embrace their traditional values without reservations, noting that there was nothing fetish about the festival.
She said the celebration was to unite the Kalabaris as well as project the cultural heritage of the people.
Don Pedro said time has come for Africa to go back to their root , adding that development will continue to elude African countries until the people rediscover themselves.