Education

‘Why UNIPORT Increased Part-Time School Fees’

Published

14 years ago

June 11, 2012

The spokesman of the University of Port Harcourt, Dr William Wodi, said on Thursday that part-time students of the university were consulted before school fees were increased.

Wodi said in Port Harcourt recently that the University increased the fees due to the withdrawal of lecturers from the part-time programme.

Part-time students of the university on Monday, embarked on a peaceful protest against the “arbitrary increase in our school fees.”

The students claimed that the fees had been increased from N40, 000 to N105, 000 for part-time students and from N50, 000 to N200, 000 for new students.

Wodi said the institution had earlier agreed with the students for an increment of N105, 000 as against the N40, 000 they presently paid.

He said the university had increased school fees for part-time programme only and never hiked fees of regular students.

The university spokesman claimed that some universities in the country charged as high as N200, 000 to N250, 000 for their part-time programmes.

“It is not true that the children (students) were not consulted. We had a town hall meeting with them here on campus; they on their own said we should give them N90, 000, we said no, we argued down to a N105, 000.

“The Vice Chancellor personally presided; he did not associate it to any of his deputies. He spoke with them and told them (students) the difficulties we were encountering, especially the threat by the lecturers.

“We do not teach part time students with rented lecturers as is the case in some other institutions, because we want to assure the same quality control (with senior lecturers of the university).

“For instance, Professors are withdrawing from the programme, that they cannot go to CCE (Centre for Continued Education) from the campus to teach, come back 11 in the night and be paid N40, 000, so they said unless they are paid more than that (they will not teach). “Now we want to pay professors N100, 000 to return them to the programme.”

Wodi said the part-time programme was being run by the university, adding that fees adjustment did not need to be approved by the National Universities Commission.

He debunked the claim that the university threatened to dismiss students who took part in the protest.

Education

PIDOMSON UNVEILS RADICAL EDUCATIONAL BLUEPRINT DIALOGUE

Published

4 days ago

November 2, 2026

The Tide

The governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Rivers State, Dr. Sir Gabriel Baritulem Pidomson, PhD, has presented his comprehensive educational blueprint as part of his 10-Point Agenda for the state.

Dr. Pidomson unveiled the blueprint on Friday during the Rivers We Want 2027 Governorship Dialogue, organized by the Center for Peace and Security Studies, Port Harcourt, and convened under the Rivers Peace Initiative (RPI).

The dialogue, designed as a citizen-focused platform for constructive engagement ahead of the 2027 election, brought together stakeholders, civil society actors and the media to interrogate the vision of governorship hopefuls.

Presenting his agenda titled “Building The Rivers We Deserve,” the former Secretary to the Rivers State Government said education remains the foundation of his prosperity agenda for all Rivers people.

According to him, his administration will overhaul public schools to provide a conducive learning environment, strengthen technical and vocational education, and invest massively in teacher training and retraining to prepare Rivers students to compete globally.

Dr. Pidomson noted that his education reform will be tied to job creation, entrepreneurship, digital technology, agriculture and manufacturing, so that young people become employers of labour rather than job seekers.

He commended the organizers of the Rivers We Want Dialogue for creating a fair and inclusive platform where candidates can present their ideas directly to the people, rather than through ethnic sentiments or imposition.

The ADC candidate reiterated that his campaign will be built on ideas, discipline and people-centred solutions, stressing that no local government or community will be treated as an afterthought in his government.

By: Akujobi Amadi

Education

Abia Student Breaks Down in Tears, Wishes Late Father Witnessed International Debate Victory

Published

4 days ago

November 2, 2026

The Tide

An emotional moment unfolded as one of the students who represented Nigeria at the 2026 International Schools Debate Championship in Doha, Qatar, broke down in tears of joy following her speech, wishing her late father were alive to witness her remarkable achievement.

The student’s emotional reaction touched the hearts of those present as she reflected on the milestone and the father who could not be there to celebrate the moment with her.

Her mother and Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, were also part of the emotional celebration, sharing in the joy of her achievement and Nigeria’s success at the international competition.

The student’s accomplishment has drawn attention to the growing importance of quality education, academic excellence and opportunities for young Nigerians to showcase their talents on the global stage.

The development has also renewed conversations about the state of education in Abia State under Governor Otti’s administration.

For many residents and supporters of the government, the achievement represents a positive sign of progress in the state’s education sector, which has faced challenges in previous years.

There is a growing sense of optimism among supporters who believe that renewed attention to education can help restore public confidence in the state’s schools and create opportunities for students to compete favourably with their peers around the world.

The student’s success in Doha is a reminder of the potential of Nigerian children when given the opportunity to learn, develop their skills and participate in international academic competitions.

Beyond the victory, her heartfelt wish to have her late father witness the moment added a deeply personal dimension to an achievement that brought pride to her family, Abia State and Nigeria.

Education

PAMO MEDICAL UNIVERSITY -Nullifies Arrest warrant on VC

Published

4 days ago

November 2, 2026

The Tide

The Scholarship controversies between PAMO University of Medical Sciences and the Rivers State House of Assembly took a twist last weekend as the Hon Justice Frank Onyiri has nullified the Order of Arrest of the State Assembly to arrest the Vice Chancellor of PAMO, Prof. Smith Jaja.

The court further granted perpetual injunction restraining the Assembly, the Police or any security agencies from in any way interfering with the rights of the applicant.

Delivering his ruling on Friday 30th October 2026 Justice Onyiri at the Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt.

The judge nullified the Order made against the applicant by the Rivers State House of Assembly, holding that the setting up of a committee to investigate the employer of the applicant purportedly under section 128 of the Constitution after the Appropriation Act 2026 had been passed and signed was a sham.

He held that the Assembly has no power to indict or adjudicate on the guilt of any person but only to investigate and receive evidence for, and only, for the purpose of section 128 of the constitution.

Starting that the declaration to arrest the Vice Chancellor, Prof Smith Jaja of PAMO by the RSHA for failure to appear before it’s Ad Hoc Committee on the 25th of September is nullified.

Giving his judgement in an enforcement of fundamental rights application brought before him by Professor Smith Jaja against fundamental rights by the Rivers State House of Assembly, the court upheld the entitlement of the applicant to have his fundamental rights under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Africa Charter on Human and People’s Rights protected.

The Judge also upheld an order of damages against the Rivers State House of HV Assembly in the sum of Two Million Naira to be paid to the applicant.

On his part, attorney of PAMO Medical University Dr. CAJ Chinwo and MS Agu who stood in for EC Ukala SAN comm

ended the judgement which lasted for about ninety minutes.