Nation
Cleric Wants FG To Curtail Importation Of Foreign Cultures
Apparently worried by the nagging security challenges ravaging the nation, a priest of the Roman Catholic Church, Rev father Francis Egbebu has called on the Federal Government to initiate the necessary mechanism that would curb unbridled importation and consumption of western values and cultures by youths in the country.
“Insecurity is not a comfortable situation and we need thorough orientation and also train our children on core Christian values. We can still tackle it and amend our ways through our various families, teachers and parents and not just emulating all that the western world are doing and the government should be more proactive in tackling insecurity in the land”.
According to him, because we have abandoned our core values in preference to western cultures and tradition in our quest to meet up with the more advanced nations in growth and development, the result is the brazen exposure of the youths to all forms of evils such as banditry, kidnapping, cold blooded murder, abduction of school children, ritual killings among other vices thereby exposing us as people alien to the teachings of Christ.
The priest stated in his homily at a requiem mass in honour of Pa Lazarus Josiah Ejiobi Nwadike-father of a Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Imo State -Ogubundu Nwadike held at the St. Patrick’s Catholic Parish Umuola Amaigbo in the Nwangele Council area of the State.
Egbebu, who is the parish priest of the Holy Rosary Catholic Parish Agbaja warned that unless Christians begin to seek the face of God, do the right things at the right time and in good intention, the myriads of problems engulfing the nation would continue to defy solutions.
He extolled the Late Pa Lazarus Josiah Ejiobi Nwadike as a devout Christian of no mean repute who laboured to bring up his children in the ways of the Lord, with legacies worthy of emulation and enjoined the children not to deviate.
In a family oration, Ogubundi Nwadike a former publicity secretary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the state inter-alia extolled his departed father as community leader, a bold courageous man who stood for truth and justice, loved and cared for all around him.
“Though not a saint or a holy person, he was a great counselor and teacher of good life, good character and good conduct obviously for that, he was loved by the people in every society that he found himself and settled in”, he stated.
By: Joe Nwachukwu, Owerri
Nation
Mbah Inaugurates ESUT Governing Council
The Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, has inaugurated the newly constituted Governing Council of the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), in line with Section 6 (1) of ESUT Establishment Law, stressing that education remains the strongest weapon to fight poverty.
The Governing Council has Sir Chinyeaka Ohaa as Chairman with Prof. Ikenna Chukwu, Engr. James Ifeanyi, Mrs. Gladys Okoro, Hon. Chinedu Onu and Dr. Eric Oluedo as members.
He noted that the Governing Council was constituted based on competence and the expressed confidence that the institution and state government would benefit from members of the Council, given their track records, networks and experience.
Mbah, while calling on the new Governing Council to ensure operational effectiveness of the institution, urged both Council and the Management to work hand-in-hand to realise the lofty dreams for which the institution was founded.
“You know that your responsibility as the Governing Council of the university is widespread and is far-reaching. And it is my hope that you are going to cultivate a harmonious relationship with the management team of the university. You should see your roles as complementary. That is the only way we can achieve the objective of the university.
“Of course, our expectation is that you are going to put in place an effective control in the area of management of finance and the investment of the university; and that you are going to see yourselves as bringing value to what the management team of the university is doing. So, it is our hope and belief that there will be a harmonious relationship between the Council and the management of the university.
“It is also my hope that this inauguration would in effect redouble the operational effectiveness of the university.”
He reminded the members of the Governing Council that their appointments came at a very auspicious time when the government had earmarked 33 per cent of the annual budget for education, stressing that it underscored his administration’s belief that “education is the strongest weapon with which to fight poverty.”
“We are constructing 260 smart schools across the 260 wards of our state. We are establishing a Centre for Experiential Learning. Similar centers like the tech hubs and the innovation hubs are also being set up in the state
Nation
Kebbi Commences Census Of Almajiri Schools
Kebbi State government through the Ministry of Religious Affairs has commenced the census of Almajiri schools across the State to identify the parents, origin, location as well as number and age of the pupils with a view to finding lasting solution to the educational system.
The Commissioner for Religious Affairs, Muhammad Sani Aliyu, who revealed this at the ongoing ministerial briefing organised by the Ministry of Information and Culture held in Birnin Kebbi, said the Ministry was working round the clock to fashion out modalities that would position Almajiri system of education side by side with the secular education for the overall development of the society.
He stressed that the current state of Almajiri education where children below the age of five were sent to schools without means of sustenance, forcing them to roam streets and houses begging for means of survival was in direct contrast to the teachings of Islam, a problem the Ministry was poised to correct.
Aliyu said the Ministry would henceforth regulate the conduct of Almajiri training, streamline the concept of Almajiri education as well as improve Almajiri system of education in order to curb the vices associated with the deviants amongst the Almajirai who usually end up in political thuggery and drug addiction.
The commissioner also revealed that through the Zakat Department, the Ministry between May 2023 and March, 2024 had treated 23,542 psychiatric related cases across the State free of charge in Neuro Psychiatric Programme Outreach of the State being carried out on Saturdays and Sundays.
The patients, he said, were drawn from the 21 local government areas of the State, neighbouring States as well as Benin and Niger Republics and are treated at Zauro General Hospital, on the outskirts of Birnin Kebbi with medical personnel drawn from Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital and Usumanu Danfodio Teaching Hospital all in Sokoto.
Nation
Bauchi Rewards Community With 200 Bags Of Rice For Preventing Looting
The government of Bauchi State has applauded Daben Kasuwa community in Ganjuwa Local Government Area for safeguarding a fallen trailer loaded with grains against looting.
For a commendable display of integrity, the community was awarded 200 bags of rice and millet as a token of appreciation.
This act of communal vigilance became widely acknowledged following a viral social media video that captured the villagers protecting the overturned truck from potential looters.
Governor Bala Mohammed, represented by the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Abdu Hassan, during the reward ceremony, lauded the residents of Daben Kasuwa for their exceptional behaviour, contrasting sharply with recent incidents of mass looting in various parts of Nigeria fuelled by rising food prices and widespread hunger.
The governor’s accolades were specifically directed towards the youth of Daben Kasuwa, acknowledging their role in positively distinguishing the LGA and Bauchi State at large.
On behalf of the community, Sarkin Daben Kasuwa, Malam Sanusi Sale expressed gratitude towards the State’s recognition and reward.
He highlighted the community’s long-standing record of peace and low crime rates, and seized the opportunity to appeal to the government for the provision of essential services such as clean water, education, electricity and healthcare facilities in Daben Kasuwa.
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