Education

‘ASUU’ll End Strike If’…

Published

14 years ago

December 11, 2011

As the strike enters its eight-day, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) says it will announce any change in its present resolve only after its National Executive Council (NEC) has duly considered any progress made so far.

The Chairman of ASUU, Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RSUST) Chapter, Dr. Felix Igwe, made this declaration in a Short Message service (SMS) sent to The Tide in Port Harcourt, Sunday.

According to him, “As a member of ASUU NEC, I’m not aware of any meeting called by the union.

However, some parents have expressed worries over Federal government and ASUU meeting that ended in deadlock.

Speaking to The Tide a businessman, Mr. Durum Sunday Nnanna, said it is better for Federal government and ASUU to reach a compromise as soon as possible to enable the students go back to school.

Mr Nnanna cautioned that strike actions should not always arise before Federal government and ASUU can reach agreement to avoid violence and economic backwardness in the country.

Also speaking to our correspondent, a Secondary School teacher, Mrs Hannah Obiekwe, said a nation without human capital development could not flourish in a modern competitive economy.

She, however, advised government to treat members of ASUU with respect and dignity arguing that without them, our children and the nation would have no future.

“If the ASUU is asking for extension of retirement age of lecturers to 70 years, then government should look into that.

“Experience has shown that the more you teach, the more experience you gain and the society taps from this laudable experience of teachers”, she expressed.

A final year student of the Rivers State University of Science and technology, Ikenna George, said ASUU strike is usual and the students feel the impact more.

His words: “Although ASUU is right but strike is bad because it drags us back. We won’t finish when we should”.

He appealed to government to come to the aids of the students by fulfilling the promises reached with ASUU.

A fresh student of Engineering, Cletus Nwaka said although ASUU strike is in students’ favour, but expressed regrets that the strike resumed on that 5th December when lectures would have started in RSUST.

Against speculations that some universities were engaged in academic activities within this zone, a source at the St John’s Campus of the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education (UOE) debunked that.

A visit to both RSUST and UOE showed that classrooms were empty last Friday while the fresh students were involved in their 2011/2012 admission process via ICT centres on campus at RSUST.

A student of Ebonyi State University who spoke to The Tide in Port Harcourt has appealed to the Federal Government and ASUU to take urgent measures towards resolution of the crisis.

Miss Queen Eziulo expressed regrets that the frequent strikes which often disrupt academic calendar had negative impact on the standard of education.

However, our correspondent recalls that the Federal government had appealed to ASUU to call off the strike.

The Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu Rufa’i, while briefing newsmen at the end of a meeting between federal government and ASUU which ended in deadlock noted: “I will still insist and plead again that ASUU has to call off the strike.

“We have already agreed that we will continue to negotiate in terms of ensuring that all the issues at stake will have to be addressed”.

Prof. Rufa’i urged students to be patient and understand the situation in the country.

The Minister assured that the Federal Government was making effort to transform the country and was not pleased with the shortfalls in the Universities.

It would also be recalled that ASUU embarked on an indefinite strike on the 5th of December over the non-implementation of some aspects of its 2009 agreement with the Federal government.

Eunice Choko-Kayode

Education

Rivers NYSC Cordinator task corps members on peace building

Published

7 days ago

December 8, 2025

The Tide

Corps Members have been urged to use the rich cultural heritage of Nigerians to promote peace in the state and country at large.

The Rivers State Coordinator of NYSC Mr. Moses Oleghe gave the charge during the inter-platoon cultural carnival competition for 2025 Batch C Corps Members deployed to the State orientation camp, Nonwa-Gbam Tai held over the weekend.

Oleghe while addressing the Corps Members, further charged them to be a “source of light in their host communities,” noting that the “symbolic lighting of the cultural carnival torch means that every Corps Member must be the light that dispels darkness.”

He urged them to integrate and internalize the culture of the people of their area where they serve, strengthen cultural practices that promote human dignity, rights, and respect.”

The radiant and colorful event witnessed the regeneration and rebirth of various ethnic cultures by the Corps Members.

At the end of the competition, 4 platoon was adjudged the overall best, 9 platoon 2nd and 6 platoon 3rd.

Education

RSU Best Graduating Student Makes Case for Absorption of Graduates

Published

7 days ago

December 8, 2025

The Tide

Miss Chukwuka Christabel Chidnma, one of the best overall graduating students of Rivers State University (RSU), Nkpolu/Oroworukwu, Port Harcourt, has advocated for the retention of the best graduating students of the institution to fill the gap in teaching staff in the institution.

Chidnma, who was adjudged the overall best graduating student of the class of 2023/2024 academic session in the just-concluded 37th and 38th combined convocation ceremony of the university, had a CGPA of 4.88 from the Department of Theatre and Film Studies in the Faculty of Humanities.

She made the call while delivering her valedictory speech at the awards of the first degree on Saturday, saying the call becomes imperative to ensure that the department and the university at large continue to thrive and maintain academic standards.

She opined that she and her colleagues would be eager to contribute to the workforce of the development and the school in general, in whatever capacity the institution may deem appropriate, to bring their skills, training, and passion to support its continued growth and excellence.

The overall best graduating student decried the enormous challenges lecturers of the department and the university as a whole are facing due to limited manpower and appealed to the university management to also employ professional producers and technical personnel.

She recounted the experiences and challenges she faced during her years of academic studies, noting that resilience, hard work, determination, and being focused were the bedrock of her success.

She dedicated the award to her parents for their untiring efforts in ensuring that her academic fortunes were not cut short.

By: Akujobi Amadi

Education

Students Free to Choose Any WAEC Subjects of Their Choices – FG

Published

7 days ago

December 8, 2025

The Tide

The Federal Government has reaffirmed that senior secondary school students whether in arts, commercial or science classes are free to register any approved subject of their choice for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), as confusion over the revised curriculum continues to generate debate across the country.

The clarification came in a press statement issued on Saturday and signed by Boriowo Folashade, Director of Press and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Education, following widespread misinformation circulating on social media and within some schools.

According to the ministry, contrary to claims that students must strictly remain within their designated subject tracks, “there is no restriction or exclusion attached to the selection of any approved subject under the Senior Secondary School Curriculum.”

Officials said the curriculum was intentionally designed to be flexible, student-centred and supportive of diverse academic and career interests.

Under the guidance, science students may select subjects traditionally grouped under the arts or social sciences, just as arts and commercial students may choose science-designated subjects provided such choices are supervised by school authorities, parents or certified counsellors.

The ministry also clarified public concerns surrounding the subject formerly known as Information and Communication Technology (ICT), confirming it has been renamed Digital Technology.

The statement emphasised that the change is purely in nomenclature and does not alter the curriculum content or disadvantage students who previously took ICT in school.

Regarding Trade Subjects, the ministry noted that six trades have been approved under the curriculum.

Students may register any of these trades only if the subjects are offered by their schools and they have been taught them. However, the government stressed that students who have never been exposed to any of the six trade subjects are under no obligation to register one as a third subject.

This clarification comes as WAEC registration for the 2026 examination cycle continues nationwide. WAEC recently urged schools to ensure accurate subject entries before the January deadline, warning that mistakes in registration especially in subject combinations have increasingly led to withheld or invalid results in previous years.

The announcement also aligns with ongoing reforms in Nigeria’s education sector. Earlier this year, the ministry began rolling out teacher retraining and digital learning initiatives aimed at boosting performance in core WAEC subjects, following several exam cycles that showed inconsistent pass rates in mathematics and English.

Nigerian universities often require specific subject combinations for competitive courses such as medicine, engineering, law, accounting and mass communication.

The ministry urged the public to rely solely on verified information, noting that misinformation remains a major challenge during examination cycles. It said further updates will be issued as reforms continue across the senior secondary school system