Education
World Book Capital: Port Harcourt Submits Bid
The Rivers State Government, has thrown its weight behind the bid to host the 2014 World Book Capital City.
The Governor of Rivers State, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi promised to assist the Rainbow Book Club to win the bid to host the event.
The Governor, represented by the Commissioner for Education, Dame Alice Lawrence-Nemi, who gave the assurance in Port Harcourt, Friday, stated that the bid is a testimony of the rapid transformation in the education sector of the state.
Dame Alice Lawrence-Nemi, said that education is free and compulsory in the state revealing that the Governor Amaechi-led administration has made available free books for every Rivers pupil, which have improved the reading habit of the youths.
Also supporting the bid, the Special Assistant to the President on Documentation representing the “Bring Back The Book” campaigns, Ms. Molara Woods, said the federal government is pleased with the bid.
According to Woods, education is one of the cardinal points of the President Goodluck Jonathan’s Transformation Agenda.
In her words! “The designation of Port Harcourt as the World Book Capital City would strengthen ongoing efforts towards reviving of our reading culture”.
Speaking at the event, the founder of Rainbow Book Club, Ms. Koko Kalango said that Port Harcourt has joined ten other cities around the world in the bidding of the 2014 World Book Capital City (WBCC).
Ms Kalango expressed optimism that Port Harcourt would become the first city in sub-Saharan Africa to host the event.
She said that the programme would build on the legacy of its literary history and culture to expand its role and influence by attracting stakeholders in the publishing industry from across the continent to promote books and reading, meeting pressing development needs in Africa, in line with the United Nations Millennium Development Goal.
According to her, World Book Capital City (WBCC) is a title bestowed by UNESCO to a city in recognition of the quality of its programmes to promote books and reading and the dedication of all players in the books industry, emphasising that Port Harcourt bid coincides with the centenary celebration of Nigeria.
The founder of the Rainbow Book Club, maintained that Port Harcourt is joining the bid because of the numerous literary activities it organizes annually which includes the garden City literary Festival and the Garden city Book Fair.
She noted that the city has come of age to host the event because of its major role in the general literary stage revealing that the Garden City Festival has been described by Thisday Newspaper as the biggest event of its kind in Sub-Saharan Africa.
In her words: “The annual Garden City Literary festival and Garden City Book Fair have attracted the participation of literary persons such as Nigeria’s Pro. Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe, J.P. Clerk, Ghana’s Ama Atta Aidoo and best of all, the people of Port Harcourt have embraced literature with an exciting annual calendar of book signings, author readings, literary circles and programmes for young people”.
“The bid proposes a rich variety of events to run through the World Book Capital year, which include scaling and strengthening of existing events in the city as well as launching a strategic activity that would ensure popular reach, accelerate the rate of literary promotion in the city and analyse writers from across the region, country and Africa”, she revealed.
The theme of the bid, she noted, “Books; Window to our World of Possibilities”, capture the simple but powerful concept that the act of reading books provides knowledge and exposure, thereby making the reader to be transported to new world, concept and ideas.
Eunice Choko-Kayode
The Acting Vice Chancellor of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Port Harcourt, Prof. Okechuku Onuchuku, emphasised the need for students to go beyond academic achievements during the university’s 43rd Convocation ceremony.
The theme, “The University Culture In Practice, The IAUE Experience,” highlights the importance of embracing cherished traditions and intellectual values that define great universities.
Prof. Onuchuku encouraged the new graduates to work hard and persevere, noting that their convocation marks a new beginning in their careers and personal lives. He emphasised that they must prove themselves worthy of the certificates and prizes they have received.
According to him, out of 2,887 first-degree graduands, four made First Class, 403 secured Second Class Upper, 2,030 got Second Class Lower, and 450 graduated with Third Class. Additionally, 1,492 postgraduate students graduated, including 306 PhD holders.
The Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (Rtd), praised the university’s commitment to academic excellence and institutional maturity. He commended the Acting Vice Chancellor for achieving full accreditation for 47 academic programmes and implementing the NUC’s Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standards.
The administrator urged the new graduates to uphold the positive values instilled in them by the university and strive for continuous knowledge and improvement.
By: King Onunwor
The Niger Delta Students Union Government, Rivers State Chapter (NIDSUG), has suspended its planned protest against the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) state office in Port Harcourt. The suspension followed an intervention by the state Commissioner of Police, CP Olugbenga Adepoju.
The students had planned to protest on Thursday, citing alleged neglect by the NDDC, particularly in welfare and capacity-building programmes for students from the state. However, after the police intervention, the students agreed to participate in a roundtable discussion with the commission to address their concerns.
NIDSUG leader, Comrade Loveday Njoku, expressed dissatisfaction with the commission’s alleged exclusion of students from benefiting from its programmes. He presented a seven-point demand, including the reintroduction of scholarships for undergraduate and postgraduate students. Njoku emphasised that education is crucial for community development and urged the commission to invest in the future leaders of the state.
The students warned that if their demands are not met, they will resume the protest and occupy the state commission office until their demands are addressed. Despite previous attempts to reach out to the commission’s management team, the students claimed their efforts were unsuccessful.
By: Akujobi Amadi
As part of efforts to improve the welfare and overall quality of education for students in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, the Sole Administrator, Sir (Dr.) Clifford Ndu Walter DSSRS, FCAI, JP, paid an unscheduled visit to Universal Primary School, Rumukwurusi.
During the visit, Sir Walter expressed deep concern over the deplorable state of the school and its surrounding environment. He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to the development of the education sector, stressing its critical role in nation-building.
“I have visited the primary school in Ogbogoro, and now I’m here at the Universal Primary School, Rumukwurusi. I am not satisfied with what I’ve seen,” he stated, indicating that more surprise visits to schools would follow.
To address the issues, the Sole Administrator directed the Council Engineer to commence process for rehabilitation of the school.
The visit was part of a broader initiative aimed at conducting on-the-spot assessments of educational facilities to determine the level of intervention required by the local government council.
Dr. Walter also assured the teachers of his unwavering commitment to revamp the school and improve the learning environment for both staff and students.