Education
Principal Lists Lessons From Ebola
Though the dreaded Ebola
virus caused Nigerians pains and anguish when it was ravaging the nation, an educationist in Rivers State says Nigerians have so much lessons to learn from the ugly development.
The principal of Holy Rosary College Port Harcourt, Barr Vero Efika, who made the observation in an interview with The Tide said before the arrival of the virus Nigerians were taken the issues of personal and environmental hygien for granted remarking that Ebola has rekindled the people’s consciousness to cleanliness.
“People who return from the market and farms, on seeing well –wishers and friends, they shake, huge and embrace each other forgetting that one could be carrying infections desease that could easily be passed to others, she said.
Efika also noted that because the infection started from the highly placed in the society and so received quickly attention of the government stressing that if it had began from the lowly placed especially in the local areas, may be it could not have received the kind of attention it did.
Another lesson, according to her was that when the virus started form Africa, the advanced countries of the world felt it was an African thing and were not ready to accord it the urgent attention it needed until today that it has spread to those developed countries the world is seriously seeking for solutions.
She said Ebola reminded us to change our orientation especially the way we do things and observe good hygien and allow the rest for God who controls the universe.
On steps taken by her school towards checking the virus, the principals explained that from the entrance get to classrooms, officers and hostels the college community and visiors are regularly reminded of what to do.
At the strategic positions, there are where you have to wash your hands, the are disinfectants she said adding that in the hostels, two students are no longer to buse the bathroom at sametime but each student.
The educationalist further disclosed that sueezing pattern has changed in the schools as, you don’t need to close your mouth with you hands while coughing or sneezing but you bend your ankle to cover your month as the palm you use to cover the month could be infected and as you shake the next person, it could be passed on to him or her.
She also said authroiteis of the college invited a medical expect to deliver lecture to students and teacher son the virus adding that at every devotion period, students were reminded of what to do.
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.