Education
Stakeholders Seek Closer Monitoring Of Students
A lecturer in the Department of Educational Administration, University of Lagos, Dr Feidu Sule,recently said closer monitoring of children by parents could help reduce the incidence of cultism on campuses.
Dr Sule said this at the university of Lagos, Wednesday, against the backdrop of the reported killing of two students at the university by suspected cult members.
According to him, some parents have failed to find out the type of friends their children keep or call them to order whenever they go astray.
“Our society is very corrupt and encourages all forms of vices; some parents have neglected their duties and abandoned their children when they needed them most,“ he said.
The lecturer urged parents to ensure they interact with their children regularly and not be far from them because they were already in higher institutions.
He also tasked university authorities to strengthen their internal security systems to curb the activities of cult members.
The lecturer noted that many universities had porous internal security systems, which allowed those who were not students of the institutions, as well as some rusticated ones, to interfere with their activities.
He also urged university authorities to load the students with academic and extracurricular activities, which would give them less time to engage in such vices.
“The school authorities, parents, the society and students, all share in the blame for increased cult clashes in our universities,’’ he said.
He, however, noted that some universities “had been able to reduce social vices to the barest minimum because they have identified ways to tackle the menace”,
An educationist, Mrs Eunice Alabi, also spoke in similar vein, noting that cult activities continued to grow on campuses because some parents failed to monitor their children.
Alabi, the Director, Covenant Pearls Consult, Lagos, said some wealthy parents lavished money on their children without monitoring how they were spending it in school.
She said that some of such children ended up funding cult activities in some universities and regretted that some highly placed people, including lecturers, were also involved in cultism.
Alabi said the activities of cult members were condemnable and urged school authorities to also monitor their lecturers more closely and get rid of those found to be encouraging such students.
A parent, Mrs Laide Fatoki said that the federal government should impose stiffer penalties on those involved in cult activities.
Fatoki said that it was heartless for cult members to kill fellow students.
She also called on university authorities to strengthen security on their campuses.
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.