Education
Research: Don Decries Lack Of Funding
Inadequate funding has been identified as a major factor militating against professors’ quest to provide quality education for their students through research.
A lecturer in the Department of Animal and Environmental Biology, Faulty of Sciences, University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), Professor Roseline Konya, made this ascertion at the thanksgiving service of newly-investitured Professor Grace Awi-Waadu in Port Harcourt, recently.
The former Commissioner for Environment in Rivers State, explained that to carry out research required money, saying that money is not available to the universities.
According to her, “The educational sector in Nigeria, as people say is going down, but I can assure you that why they are saying its going down is because its not rising as much as its expected due to low funding. We need in-service training, we need to attend conferences, update ourselves and money is not available to the universities to carry out research”.
She further said, that research keeps one informed of new trends, as well as helps improve the quality of graduates and puts the lecturers at par with their counterparts internationally.
In her remarks, the newly promoted professor, Grace Awi-Waadu, expressed optimism in the education sector, saying, “if knowledge is being acknowledged by policy makers, there’s a bright future for education.
The Professor of Parasitology, while reiterating on her challenges on the road to being a Professor, also noted that finance was a major challenge in carrying out her research activities.
“Becoming a professor in this part of the world is quite challenging in the sense that majority of the fund for research is put up by the individual, if one is lucky to apply to outside agencies and get sponsorship, then you’ve found another avenue for funding,” she said.
Prof. Awi-Waadu, advised her fellow academia to study always and look inwards to know if one can make an impact, saying, they should be focused and avoid things that can set back the educational standard.
Also speaking, Chief Technologist, Department of Animal and Environmental Biology, Faulty of Sciences, UNIPORT, Austin Abbah, challenged aspiring professors not to give up when the job seems to become tough, but to remain focused, patient and determined until they achieve their goal, and described Prof. Awi-Waadu as hardworking.
Tonye Nria-Dappa
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.