Education
Again, Abia Wins Secondary School Quiz Competition
For the second consecutive year running, Owaza Community Secondary School in Abia State has emerged the winner of the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria-organised 2018 Environmental Awareness Quiz Competition for four Land Hub community secondary schools in Abia and Rivers States.
The defending champions trounced Community Comprehensive Secondary School, Rumuokwurushi, Community Secondary School, Aleto and Community Secondary School, Rumuopara, all in Rivers State, to clinch the coveted prize.
The quiz competition, which covers questions drawn from Environmental Studies, Mathematics, English, Physics and Chemistry, was keenly contested by the representatives of these four schools.
The Owaza school scored a total of 98 points to beat Community Secondary School, Rumuopara, which came second with a total score of 90 points, followed by Community Secondary School, Aleto, which scooped third position with a total score of 85 points while Community Comprehensive Secondary School, Rumuokwurusi came fourth with a total score of 80 points.
Speaking with newsmen shortly after Owaza Community Secondary School was announced the overall winner, in Port Harcourt, last Thursday, the Commissioner, Ministry of Environment, Abia State, Aham Uko, said that the Abia State Government was doing everything humanly possible to ensure that education took premium place in the lives of the people.
Uko added that with the result, Abia State students have shown that the huge investment being made by the government in improving education infrastructure in the state was not in vain.
He expressed excitement over the performance of Abia students, promising to ensure that the Abia State Government gives free scholarship to the best performing debater, who excelled in the SPDC 2017 and 2018 Quiz Competitions.
Also speaking, the Rivers State Commissioner for Education, Dr Tamunosisi Gogo-Jaja, stated that one of the surest ways of confronting militancy in the Niger Delta was investing in education, adding that “any man that opens the door of schools shuts the door of prisons”.
Gogo-Jaja noted that in the past, education helped to build the mind of people, and urged Shell to partner with the Rivers State Government to ensure that public schools achieved their mandate in efforts to sustain the development of the state.
In his remarks, External Relations Manager, SPDC, Mr Igo Weli urged the students to focus on making the best of the opportunity given them by their parents and the government, by working hard to excel at all times.
Weli explained that one of the reasons why SPDC targets students from public schools was to correct the erroneous impression that only those in private schools excel in academics, adding that Nigerian students in hard-to-reach communities also have the potentials to unleash high intellectual capacities never before imagined.
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.