Education
Take Reading Seriously, Mrs Wike Tells Student Lawyers
Wife of the Rivers State
Governor, Justice Suzette Wike, has called on students studying law at the Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RSUST) to inculcate reading habits if the they must succeed as students and lawyers.
Justice Wike, who made the call recently at an inaugural lecture organised by the faculty of law of the university, stated that such reading habit is one sure way for the students to “compete favourably with your foreign counterparts”
Wike, an aluminus of the same faculty, emphasised that their reading should cut across books written by both Nigerian and foreign authors.
“You should engage yourselves in reading relevant books authored by both foreign and local writers in improving your performance in the legal profession,” she said.
While encouraging the students to always identify with their colleagues who are serious minded with their studies to avoid being distracted, Justice Wike noted that the recent rehabilitation and procurement of needed facilities in the law faculty by the state government has provided an advantage the students should exploit.
Speaking on the inaugural topic, “Local Trained, Globally Relevant,” the inaugural lecturer, Mrs Boma Ozobia, called on law students and legal practitioners to see challenges as an opportunity to excel in life.
Properly trained local lawyers can do better if they are grounded with books authored by local and foreign writers,” she said.
She used the opportunity to urge the students to be focused in order to achieve their goals in their legal profession.
Ozobia noted that “in spite of the oppression of the British traders in some selected Nigerian Kingdoms, the Nigerian traders were not fettered, hence they achieved their goals in the face of oppression”.
Earlier, the Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Blessing Didia, had thanked the organizers of the lecture, noting that it had succeeded in bringing together the Alumni of the faculty for the development of the institution.
He urged all members of the Alumni to borrow a leaf from Justice Wike and her husband by becoming “good ambassadors of the university”.
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.