Education
N-Power Programme: Unpaid Teachers Express Fears
Some of the recruited graduate teachers in the Federal Government’s National Social Investment programme who have not been paid their December stipends have expressed fears that they may not be paid afterall.
Speaking to The Tide midweek, at the Elekahia Community Town Hall, Rebisi, Port Harcourt during a verification exercise, some of the affected recruits stated that their fears were borne out of the fact that some of them have been paid their December stipend of N30,000 each.
When contacted, the state focal person on social investment programme, Sir Allwell Ihunda, stated that the recruits would be paid their stipends.
He explained that the inability of the federal government to pay them alongside their colleagues was related to unresolved issues in documentation, which he said was the essence of the day’s verification exercise.
“Some of them could not update their bank details or did not give the information that was required to enable them get their payments,” he said.
He continued that, “the other batch that are not likely to receive December stipend are those that we cleared and submitted their list on the 14th of January 2017.”
The National Investment Programme, popularly called N-Power Programme was set up by the federal government with an intention of empowering 500,000 unemployed graduates with a stipend of N30,000 in two years.
The first payment was made in December 2016.
Of the first batch of 200,000 recruits based on residence, Rivers State has the highest number of 13,165.
Explaining the details of N-Power Progrmame, the Rivers State Director of National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mr. Oliver Wolugbom said the programme was executed by NOA in conjunction with National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and the programme’s focal person in each state.
According to him, the programme cut across N-Teach (teachers), N-Agro (Agriculture) N-Health and N-Community.
The Tide gathered that out of the first 10,000 of the 13,165 recruits that were cleared, about 8,000 are teachers.
Sogbeba Dokubo
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.