Education
Old Students Move To Sponsor Indigent Students
Members of the Old Students Association of Community Comprehensive High School, Ikaram Akoko, in Ondo State, have promised to adopt some indigent pupils of the school for sponsorship.
The ‘adopt a pupil’ initiative was announced by the newly-sworn-in executive of the association, led by its President, Mr Oluwarotimi Williams-Daudu, to help encourage pupils return to school in the community.
Williams-Daudu said this in an interview with newsmen on the sidelines of the celebration of 44th anniversary of the school on Sunday at the school in Ikaram Akoko in the Akoko Northwest of Ondo State.
He said the plan was to encourage any old student to adopt an indigent student and pay the school fees, provide uniforms and books.
The president said the association had also recruited teachers for the school when it discovered that the school had only four teachers, including the Principal and Vice Principals.
He said the classroom blocks being built by the old students would be completed within the next 100 days, which would replace the dilapidated ones.
“We, the old students, are building infrastructure, building classrooms and also see how we can construct the link road to the school.
“We plan to introduce “adopt a child” initiative where an old student will adopt any child that could not pay school fees. We can also adopt those children that are gifted intellectually. We will pay for uniforms and books.
“Many of our members are overseas, we are looking at doing exchange programmes with schools abroad so that our pupils could go overseas and see education from the global perspective.
“Many parents cannot buy books for their children so we are going to be appealing to individuals, donor agencies as well as well established schools to donate books to this school.
“Public schools are totally neglected in this country, governments need to do more to help public education.
“Any act of indiscipline will not be tolerated. If we are showing them a helping hand, the pupils must respond with change to attitude and studies,”he said.
“It is wrong for the principal to say the students are not ready. We feel the pain that a once illustrious school is going into the abyss.
“It is a shame that government has abdicated and abandoned its responsibilities. We will not allow things to degenerate,” he said.
The school Principal, Joseph Gbadamosi, called for donation of computers to enable the students embrace Information and Communication Technology.
He said the school needs total renovation as the buildings were still as they were 44 years ago.
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.