Education
Teachers’ Relations Protest Non-Payment
A coalition of widows and next of kin to late primary school teachers in Akwa Ibom State last Monday took to the streets to protest alleged government’s failure to keep to its promise on the payment of gratuities and pension to its members for a long time now.
The group alleged that government in a bid to stop the proposed protest had gone on air to announce the commencement of payment on Monday, adding that government was not sincere about the payment.
The retired teachers who stormed Government House as early as 8am displayed placards of various inscriptions.
Some of the inscriptions read, ‘We don’t want radio payment again’, ‘Government is not sincere about payment of our gratuities and pension’, among others.
Speaking with newsmen shortly after the protest, Secretary of the Coalition, Mr Benjamin Benson, explained that they came out to protest because government’s information about payment was an impromptu one.
“Today, we wanted to sleep here at the gate of the Government House until they pay. But we want to give government the benefits of the doubt,” he said
The Chief of Staff to the Governor, Mr Ephraim Inyangeyen, who addressed the protesters, pleaded with them and promised that payment could only be guaranteed on Wednesday.
In another development, the Akwa Ibom State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria has commended the state governor, Udom Emmanuel, for inaugurating laudable projects and programmes in the state.
In a statement on Monday, CAN noted that it was imperative to commend the governor on what he had achieved since he assumed office in order to encourage him to do more.
The statement read in part, “The administration of Governor Emmanuel has touched virtually all sectors of the state’s economy, including aviation, commerce, agriculture, sports, industrialisation as well as provision of infrastructural facilities across the length and breadth of the state.
“So, it is imperative that the landmarks recorded under Emmanuel be so recognised, in order to give him the fillip to do even more before handing over the baton come 2023.”
According to the statement, the association further gave their support to the governor on other unfinished projects in the state.
A professor of Highway Engineering at the Rivers State University (RSU), Prof. Emmanuel Osilemme Ekwulo, has identified poor designs, inadequate materials, insufficient testing, and lack of accountability as major obstacles to the success of highway construction projects in the country.
Ekwulo made this remark in Port Harcourt last Wednesday during the 128th inaugural lecture series of the university, where he presented a lecture titled “Removing Roadblocks: Rebuilding a Foundation for Reliable Highway Pavement Infrastructure.”
The university don lamented the consistent premature failures of road construction projects nationwide, despite huge investments by the government at all levels, attributing the problem to neglected basics and systemic principles in the industry.
According to him, rebuilding the foundation technically, institutionally, and ethically is crucial to building strong and lasting pavements.
Ekwulo emphasized the need for political will, professional integrity, and commitment to engineering excellence to overcome the challenges.
“The metaphoric roadblocks are those challenges causing premature failures,” Ekwulo said, adding that identifying and addressing these roadblocks is key to rebuilding the nation’s highways.
He recommended that institutions involved in road design and construction adopt a mechanistic-empirical design approach, and develop a comprehensive framework for implementing the Nigerian Imperial and Mechanistic Pavement Design System (NEMPADS) approach.
Ekwulo also advocated for mandatory traffic load analysis, strengthened university-industry collaboration, and funding for applied pavement research.
Corruption, he noted, is a major challenge in the profession, saying severe punitive measures are needed to curb shabby practices leading to premature road failures.
The Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Isaac Zeb-Obipi, described Ekwulo’s lecture as interesting and intriguing, highlighting the importance of implementing solutions to Nigeria’s highway challenges.
The Vice Chancellor also described Ekwulo’s proposals as practical and applicable to government and industry stakeholders.
He said the university is committed to research aligned with national development goals, referencing its NDV-12 responsive consortium production framework.
Zeb-Obipi noted that Ekwulo’s recommendations are timely and solution-driven, and will contribute to addressing Nigeria’s highway challenges.
Akujobi Amadi
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