Education

Girl Guides Link Girl Child Education To World Peace, Dev

Published

7 years ago

November 18, 2019

The Nigerian Girl Guides Association (NGGA) has identified sound and qualitative education as a critical tool in empowering the girl-child toward attaining leadership positions.
The association’s Chief Commissioner, Mrs Maria-Goretti Sule, said in Lagos that such empowerment would bring about global peace.
Sule spoke at the opening of the Nigeria Hub of the 2019 Juliet Low Seminar (JLS).
The seminar had the theme: “Lead Out Loud: Tackling Gender Barriers to Leadership”.
JLS is hosted by the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS).
According to Sule, the potential of any girl- child may remain untapped if not educated.
She said that education had the key to unlocking the potential.
Sule said that lack of education of the girl-child was a challenge to achieving purposeful leadership, national growth and global development, peace and harmony.
“That is the essence of this event. Today marks a new dawn for us in the NGGA because this happens to be the first time we are hosting our movement’s global event.
“We have been playing host to many national and Africa region events and some others sponsored by the WAGGGS but when Nigeria was granted the hosting rights as one of the 20 hubs for the seminar, our joy knew no bounds.
“You will agree with me that the girl-child is going through many issues such as gender discrimination, rape, poverty, barriers to education, violence and female genitsl mutilation, among others.
“We must not feign ignorance of these issues if we intend to give our girls the much needed empowerment through education to ensure freedom for them and find the space to develop their potential.
“The theme for the 2019 JLS is a very timely one; this is the reason we must call on stakeholders to join forces with us to break barriers that hinder the girl-child and young women from developing their talents and becoming who God wants them to be,” she said.
The commissioner urged that from homes to schools, workplaces, markets or political campaign grounds, all barriers to girl-child development must be broken.
She called for legislation that would destroy barriers working against females, to achieve accelerated national transformation.
“We appeal for legislation that will help young women to gain the confidence to pursue their life dreams and pursue success in whatever field they desire.
“We appeal for appointments for women who have the capacities to lead and make impacts rather than discriminate against them because of their gender.
“As an association, we are ready to continue equipping our girls and playing our part to ensure they are mentored and polished to be of great service to the world,” Sule said.
The Assistant National Project Commissioner of the NGGA, Mrs Lilian Damie, told newsmen on the sidelines of the event that about 700 members of the association were participating in the JLS in different countries, including Nigeria.
She said that the leadership programme targeted females between ages of 18 years and 25.
According to her, the purpose is to identify gender barriers to leadership and come up with ways to overcome them.
“It is expected that when these participants and facilitators drawn from 18 countries return to their local communities, they should be able to transfer skills and impact knowledge garnered during the JLS experience to at least 100 girls, each.
‘“We strive to deal with the issues facing the 21st century young women and girls by equipping them with the right education (formal and non formal), and skills that will enable them to discover themselves and unleash their potential for leadership roles.
“For us, education remains the gateway. It remains the key to preventing all forms of challenge working against women.

Education

Uniport Appoints Prof. Princewill R. Chike as 10th Vice-Chancellor

Published

6 days ago

June 8, 2026

The Tide

The Governing Council of the University of Port Harcourt has approved the appointment of Professor Princewill R. Chike as the 10th Vice-Chancellor of the University.

Prof. Chike, a former Commissioner for Health in Rivers State, will succeed Prof. Georgewill Owunari whose tenure ends on July 13, 2026.

A statement signed by the University’s Public Relations Officer, Dr. Sam Kpenu and made available to _The Tide_, said the appointment was made by the 17th Governing Council following the successful conclusion of the selection process.

“The process was conducted in strict compliance with the provisions of the Universities (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act and the University of Port Harcourt Act,” the statement read.

It added that the process involved the constitution of a Search Team and a Joint Council-Senate Selection Board. Both bodies carried out their responsibilities in accordance with extant laws and regulations governing the appointment of Vice-Chancellors in Nigerian universities.

According to the statement, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Senator Mao Ohuabunwa, congratulated Professor Chike on his appointment.

Senator Ohuabunwa expressed confidence in Prof. Chike’s ability to provide visionary leadership for the continued growth and development of the University.

Professor Princewill R. Chike is expected to formally assume office as the 10th Vice-Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt on July 13, 2026.

By: Akujobi Amadi

Education

Education commissioner Commends WAEC Conduct in Rivers ,, Vows Sanctions for Malpractice

Published

6 days ago

June 8, 2026

The Tide

The Rivers State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Peters Nwagor, has commended the orderly conduct of the ongoing 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination in the state and urged schools to sustain the standard.

Dr. Nwagor gave the commendation recently during a monitoring tour of selected secondary schools in Port Harcourt and environs where the WAEC exam is ongoing.

The commissioner, who was accompanied by directors and monitors from the Ministry of Education, said he was impressed with the peaceful atmosphere at the centres visited.

“The students conducted themselves properly and wrote their papers under conducive conditions. Invigilators and supervisors also performed their duties professionally,” he stated.

Nwagor noted that the Rivers State Government had invested heavily to ensure the smooth and credible conduct of the examination across the state

He urged candidates to reciprocate government’s effort by shunning all forms of examination malpractice and focusing on their studies.

“Government has done so much to ensure successful examinations in our schools. Students should take advantage of it by remaining focused,” the commissioner said.

While no case of malpractice was recorded in the centres inspected, Dr. Nwagor warned that any principal, teacher, invigilator, or official caught aiding malpractice would face strict sanctions in line with regulations.

He also commended school administrators, teachers, WAEC officials, and security personnel for upholding the integrity of the process. Centres visited included County Grammar School, Ikwerre/Etche; Government Comprehensive Secondary School, Borokiri; Government Secondary School, Borokiri; and Pabod Model Secondary School.

By: Akujobi Amadi

Education

RSU Law Professor Calls for Periodic Review of Nigeria’s Criminal Laws

Published

6 days ago

June 8, 2026

The Tide

A Professor of Criminal Justice and Law at the Faculty of Law, Rivers State University, Nkpolu-Oroworukwu, Port Harcourt, Prof. Clifford Anaele Nwanyanwu, has advocated for periodic review of the nation’s criminal justice administration laws to reflect current societal needs and challenges.

Prof. Nwanyanwu noted that many of the criminal justice laws in use today date back to the pre-colonial era. He questioned their efficiency in addressing modern criminal justice administration, adding that the complex nature of adjudication often allows crime to thrive.

He made the call while delivering the university’s 132nd Inaugural Lecture on Wednesday at the Senate Conference Auditorium titled: “Society as Criminal Enterprise: Unravelling a Complex Justice System.”

The erudite legal scholar clarified that the lecture was not meant to condemn the country’s justice system. Instead, he said it was intended to highlight areas that require urgent attention.

He expressed concern that criminal justice practice in Nigeria is more dysfunctional than functional, and stressed that he wants to see a system that works effectively for all citizens.

“The essence of criminal justice administration is due process, and anything contrary is not it. Plea bargains help to fast-track trial processes and reduce delays,” he stated.

However, Prof. Nwanyanwu expressed worry that the sums recovered through plea bargain arrangements are often meagre compared to the wealth looted, noting that this contradicts the purpose of the arrangement.

To strengthen the system, he recommended merit-based recruitment of judicial officers with proven character and integrity. He also called for adequate funding, infrastructure development, removal of political interference, and ethical reorientation within the judiciary.

The law professor further recommended that the state should pay compensation to citizens when security officers are found culpable for arbitrary killings, in line with the principle of vicarious liability.

In his remarks, Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Isaac Zeb-Obipi, commended the lecturer. He described the lecture as timely and relevant to addressing the nagging challenges of crime in society.

Prof. Zeb-Obipi expressed concern over the justice system’s inability to curb the rising rate of criminal activities in the state. He added that through inaugural lectures, the university continues to provide solution-based approaches to societal challenges.

Our correspondent reports that the thought-provoking lecture was attended by stakeholders in the judicial system, judges, magistrates, scholars, and members of the university community.

By: Akujobi Amadi