Education
Commissioner Advises Ex-Minister To Address Issues
The Rivers State Com
missioner For Agriculture, Mr. Emma Chindah, has challenged the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Nyesome Wike, to focus his campaign on policies and programmes rather than castigating the programmes of the state government.
Mr. Chindah who said this during a courtesy call by the executive of the National Union of Ikwerre Students (NUES) said that the era of personalising the policies of Rivers State was gone.
He said that what the people of Rivers State want to hear about are programmes and policies that the former Minister of State for Education has for the state if elected and not criticising Amaechi’s Agricultural plantation, especially at a time when the country is diversifying its economy to the agricultural sector.
The commissioner also said that it would be sheer greed on the part of the Ikwerres to seek to govern Rivers State after Governor Amaechi, stressing that as a people; the Ikwerres must exhibit the spirit of accommodation by allowing other ethnic groups to govern the state.
He stressed the need for the students to champion the course of being their brothers’ keeper.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Emmanuel Chindah, has described the choice of Dakuku Peterside as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as good for the state.
He said that Dakuku was responsible for the numerous projects across the state during his time as commissioner for works.
Chindah listed some of the achievements of the APC governorship candidate to include the Eleme Junction interchange, the Andoni/Opobo Unity road; the Agbandele road project, the multi-billion naira Owerri/Port Harcourt road project, dualisation of the Ikwerre and Elekahia road projects amongst others.
Earlier, the President-General of the National Union of Ikwerre Students (NUES), Mr. Anele Christian, thanked the commissioner for the role he played during the union’s election and listed some challenges facing the union which include lack of vehicle amongst others.
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.