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Tributes As Academia Honour Elechi Amadi

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Stakeholders, especially the academia have paid glowing tributes to the shining legacies of late literary giant of Africa, Elechi Amadi, and challenged the present generation of young Nigerians to emulate the exemplary virtues and qualities of the author and novelist as a veritable means of contributing meaningfully to the development of the country.
They said this at a book presentation, titled: ‘In A Blaze Of Glory: Creative Tributes To Elechi Amadi,’ in honour of late Elechi Amadi at ‘The Crab,’ Delta Park, University of Port Harcourt, Choba, last Thursday.
Speaking at the book presentation, the reviewer and a lecturer in the University of Port Harcourt, Prof Chidi Maduka tasked Nigerians to always show respect to late author and novelist, Chief Elechi Amadi by attending events organized to honour the legacies of the literary icon as a show of appreciation for his contributions to development of African art and literature.
“There is no other African novelist who has surpassed Amadi as a perceptive depicter of man’s struggle for survival in a world where cosmic forces often play an enigmatic role in human life,” Maduka said, stressing that the memorable legacy of Elechi Amadi to the transformation of the literary landscape in Africa was legendary.
Maduka added that his literary works had placed Nigeria in the World Map, and stressed that it was high time all Nigerians, especially politicians emulate the good legacies of Elechi Amadi.
He pointed out that Elechi Amadi started very early in life in Mathematics and Physics, then switched to Applied Science, noting that he became a living scientist as he kept telling people that the gods were important.
Also speaking, Emeritus Prof Otonti Nduka described the literary icon as “a great man, a great Nigerian, a modest man”, adding “We know who is who, and we know our class. He certainly immortalised his name by impacting the society with his literary works.”
Former Vice Chancellor, University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), Prof Nemi Briggs described Elechi Amadi as a colossus in Literary Arts world, saying, “Science takes its roots from Arts; the scientists take their thinking from arts. I now have very deep respect for the arts. Elechi Amadi studied science and saw something very bigger in arts. I docked my mind to it,” and advised the Nigeria youth to read very deep in order to exercise their minds.
Another former Vice Chancellor of UNIPORT, Prof Joseph Ajienka described Elechi Amadi as “A celebrated writer and a blessing to this part of the world”, advising that, “Everyone should celebrate him as he was gifted in arts.”
The Chairman of the occasion, and Dean, Faculty of Humanities, Prof Femi Shaka described the event as “A celebration of an icon, role model and an achiever per excellence. That we are celebrating Elechi Amadi today is a testament to the fact that we give him due honour.”
The chairman, who was represented by a professor in Theatre and Film Studies, Emmanuel Emasealu also used the opportunity to describe the wife of Elechi Amadi, Dr Priye Iyalla-Amadi as “A fine example of a lady of substance, vision, tolerance, endurance, hard work and source of inspiration to humanity.”
In his remarks, Rector of Elechi Amadi Polytechnic, Rumuola, near Port Harcourt, Dr Samuel Kalagbor described Elechi Amadi as “A literary giant and an elegant scholar”.
Kalagbor noted that there were so many ways of celebrating a genius, emphasizing that one of the ways was to immortalize their names through monuments, event centres, government-owned institutions, among others, adding that that the change of the name of the Port Harcourt Polytechnic to Elechi Amadi Polytechnic, Port Harcourt, was part of that effort.
“The Governor of Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Wike deemed it necessary to change the name of the institution from Port Harcourt Polytechnic to Elechi Amadi Polytechnic, Port Harcourt because he felt that this was one sure way of immortalizing the literary giant of Africa,” he said.
In her response, the wife of the literary giant, Dr Priye Iyalla-Amadi stated that “I was inspired to put together the pieces that have become a book today in my darkest hours when I heard my husband saying ‘darling, wipe your tears, I am with you.’
“If I am so involved in celebrating Elechi Amadi after death, it is because while alive, he married me well, he was a good husband, he took good care of me. So, I will continue to do my best to keep his memory alive.”

 

Susan Serekara-Nwikhana & Reliance Ezimora

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Armed Gang Kills Three Police Informants In Ahoada West

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Gunmen suspected to be members of a cult group, Greenlanders, have allegedly killed three male adults at Olokuma community in Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The Tide learnt that the victims, who unconfirmed sources said were Police informants in the community, were killed at the weekend.
According to one of our sources, the body of one of the victims has been recovered while efforts are on to recover the two other bodies.
Community sources revealed that the attack by the suspected cultists was a reprisal attack by the gang that had been in distress and disarray due to unrelenting onslaught against cultism and other violent crime by the Rivers State Police Command under the leadership of the present Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu.
The Tide further learnt that the attack was a calculated attempt by the hoodlums to instill fears among residents and natives and also discourage them from cooperating with the Police and other security agents on areas of intelligence and information sharing.
When contacted, the Rivers State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, said she would verify the report and revert back to our correspondent but she is yet to do so as of the time of filing this report.
Meanwhile the Civil Military Police Paramilitary Relations (CIMPARR) has condemned the killing.
The Coordinator of the group, Comrade Green Isaac, in a brief statement, also urged the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, to redeem the N100million bounty placed on David Gift.
“I am calling on the Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, to redeem the N100million naira pledge as a bounty on the head of David Gift aka 2Baba. 2Baba has been brought down, the e governor should please redeem the pledge”, he said.
Recall that on the 8th April, 2024, the Rivers State Police Command announced the killing of two loyalists of Ikem ThankGod otherwise known as ‘General’ 2Man of the Greenland cult group during a raid on his camp in Ahoada West Local Government Area.

King Onunwor

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RHI: Lady Fubara Donates 50,000 Books To Public Schools In Rivers

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Wife of the Rivers State Governor, Lady Valerie Siminalayi Fubara, has presented 50,000 copies of exercise books to the Ministry of Education and the Rivers State Universal Basic Education Board for distribution to public schools in the state.
The State Commissioner for Education, Prof Chinedu Mmon and the Executive Chairman of the Rivers State Universal Basic Education Board, Venerable Fyneface Akah, received the books on behalf of the beneficiaries.
Speaking at the occasion held at the Banquet Hall Annex, Government House, Port Harcourt, last Monday, Lady Fubara stated that the programme is part of the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) of the wife of the President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, geared towards advancing and sustaining quality education that uplift and give hope to Nigerians.
She said, “My joy is fundamentally hinged on the fact that our State is fortunate to be a beneficiary of the programmes of the Renewed Hope Initiative of the Wife of the President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.”
According to her, “While we have earlier flagged off an empowerment scheme for the elderly in this same place, today, we are here to set off a valuable programme in support of education through the provision of free exercise books to children in our dear State.
“The presentation of these 50,000 copies of exercise books is, therefore, synergic in promoting quality education for a better Nigeria. So, it is gratifying that children are the prime beneficiaries of this particular scheme.
“These exercise books should be distributed only to pupils and students in public schools in the 23 Local Government Areas of the State,” she emphasized.
The Wife of the Governor described the event as significant, in recognition of the fact that education is one of the key priority areas of the Governor Siminalayi Fubara-led Administration.
She also commended the wife of the President for extending love to the State, emphasizing that the initiative will no doubt make Rivers State and Nigeria better.
“This event is quite significant and dear to our State as education is one of the cardinal pillars of the Administration of our Governor, my husband, Sir Siminalayi Fubara.
“I must, therefore, express my profound gratitude to the wife of the President for extending this love to our State. The initiative is in line with our determined efforts of advancing and sustaining quality education that uplift and give hope to our people. It is an initiative that will make Rivers State and Nigeria better,” she added.
In his remarks, the State Commissioner for Education, Prof Chinedu Mmom, who noted the challenges faced by parents in training their children in schools, thanked the wife of the Governor for the initiative, saying that the gesture will go a long way in reducing the burden on parents.
Also speaking, a representative of the schools, Mr Tobin Micah, noted that the books will help in reducing monies spent by parents in the purchase of books, and assured that the books will be judiciously distributed to all the public primary and secondary schools in the state.
Highlights of the event were the handing over of the books to the Commissioner by the State’s First Lady, as well as the presentation of copies of the books to some students of various schools in the State.

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JAMB Arrests Father For Impersonating Son At Exam Centre

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The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has revealed that two suspects, a father and his son, were arrested for their alleged involvement in impersonation during the 2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.
This was just as the Board added that no fewer than 1.94 million candidates sat for the 2024 examinations across the country.
The JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, made this known to newsmen shortly after monitoring the exam at the Kaduna State University CBT Centre, Kaduna, last Wednesday.
The JAMB boss refrained from disclosing the identities of the parent and their child, as well as the location of the reported malpractice.
He said, “For those who engage in cheating, they should know that it does not pay.
“The technology is helping us to check that.
“Across the country, most of the problems we have is impersonation. For instance, now, we say we have NIN, we now have cases of people with two NINs and therefore that has defeated the purpose of identity verification.
“We are going to take that up with NIMC that there are people who have two NINs.
“We have a case of a father impersonating his son, writing an examination for the son and I wonder, are you not destroying your son’s future?
“Of course, two of them are now in custody. I can’t understand what the father will now tell his son when they are both locked up in the same cell.
“This happened definitely not in Kaduna, but I don’t want to disclose the state.
“So, it is largely cases of impersonation, but we are ahead of them; we are just picking them up like chicken now because the facilities are there for us to see what they are doing and to pick them up.”
He noted that at the end of the examination yesterday, there would be less than 100,000 candidates remaining in Lagos, Benue and other states in the country.
He added that JAMB’s improved technology made the exercise smoother and faster.
“Today, I have seen something which we need to improve on, but most importantly, we have done so many things in the background to make the exercise faster, more efficient and better. We have increased the level of automation.
“This year, 1.94 million candidates are writing UTME. By the end of today, we would have less than 100,000 remaining.
“By the end of today, what will be remaining will be Lagos, Makurdi and other few places in the country,” he added.
Meanwhile, the JAMB Registrar also commended parents for their behaviour during the conduct of the 2024 UTME exercise, noting that there was no parent intrusion, unlike the previous year when some parents flocked to the various computer-based centres during the exams.
“There is no report this year of parents intruding, except in one state. In that state, they felt that since the first session failed, their children should not continue with the second or other sessions,” he noted.
Oloyede also used the opportunity to inform those who have missed the exam, for reasons not caused by the examination body, to forget about it, saying that JAMB cannot spend tens of millions of the nation’s resources to reorganise a session for a few candidates who missed the exams due to their personal recklessness.
“Most of those candidates who missed the UTME are students from hostels who were made to register through schools because of the money the schools want to collect from the parents in the name of JAMB.
“They would now put 30 students in one bus. They will now be dropping them off in different locations. By the time they get to the last student’s centre, he is already late for the exam.
“You will now see the principal writing to me. What business do I have with a school?”, he asked.

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