Education
300 Students Get Council’s Bursary
The Chairman,
Gwagwalada Area Council, Alhaji Abubakar Giri, has distributed about N5 million to 300 indigent students studying at various tertiary institutions in the country.
Giri, who was speaking at the official flag off of disbursement of bursary at the council’s secretariat to the students, said that the gesture was to support parents and guardians.
Giri noted that the objective of the grant was to assist indigent students in the council and to complement their parents’ effort in the quest for knowledge.
The chairman, who assured the students that the event would be an annual one, however, urged them to consider their educational pursuit as one of the cardinal principles of life.
“Education is an instrument of success and development for self and the entire society,’’ he said.
He urged parents and the entire residents of the council to cooperate with his administration, adding that it had commenced one of its several policies.
In his speech, the Chairman of the Committee for Scholarship award, Alhaji Sule Dobi, advised the students to ensure proper usage of the money given to them.
He challenged parents to send their wards to school, saying that it would not only benefit the students but also ensure the development of the country.
One of the beneficiaries, a student of Theatre and Cultural Arts, Nassarawa State University, Ms Ramatu Hassan, who got N18, 000, said students had waited for the scholarship for long.
She, however, commended the council for its effort in giving the scholarship and promised to make good use of it.
Another beneficiary, Mr Rashed Abubakar, studying Agriculture at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, who got N 20,000, also commended the council for its effort and encouraged the council to make it a yearly event.
Speaking in an interview with newsmen, the students’ union leader, Gwagwalada branch, Mr Aliyu Dobi, said the award was timely, “now that schools have resumed’’.
He added that students had waited for such exercise for over 10 years and thanked the council for making the scholarship a reality.
Our correspondent reports that the money was distributed according to the course of study of the students, across the 10 political wards of the council.
Students of Medical Sciences got N 30,000, Arts and Social Sciences got N 20,000, students studying at the polytechnics and colleges of education were given N 18, 000.
In addition, students studying Arts at the colleges of education were given N15, 000 each.
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.