Education
Rivers Commissioner To Chair South/South Education Summit, March
The Rivers State Commissioner for Education, Dame Alice Lawrence-Nemi, has been appointed to chair the South-South Education Summit to hold in Port Harcourt in March.
The Education Summit is the brain child of the South-South Governors’ Forum.
The six states in the geo-political zone, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Edo and Delta named BRACED commission, will come together during out a blue print that will be a working document for the education sector in the zone.
Dame Alice Lawrence-Nemi has called for measures to revive the falling standard of education in the country while declaring open the BRACED commission’s meeting in Port Harcourt.
She stated that all stakeholders should pay serious attention to review the sector with the aim of securing the future of our tomorrow’s leaders.
The Education Commissioner said that they have the mandate of their various Governors to champion the cause stating that during the summit, the states would adopt a model that would be used in the BRACED states.
As part of their mandate, she announced that the BRACED commission and the States Ministries of Education would carry out a comprehensive survey of education in the BRACED states to assess the state of education in the region, and advise how the various educational initiatives of the Governors can be sustained and identify the educational needs of the South-South states as it prepares for global competitiveness.
She maintained that the BRACED Commission is to work out with the states an effective mechanism for the re-certification of teachers as part of efforts to encourage the continuous training of teachers thus improving the quality of teaching profession in the region.
The Education boss insisted that payment of discriminatory school fees by South-South students in tertiary institutions in the BRACED states would be abolished.
Accordingly, she noted South-South students attending tertiary institutions in the BRACED states are to pay the same school fees.
She said that the commission would institutionalised and encourage sports competition among the schools in the zone as well as set up education working group which would standardised education in terms of access and quality.
Speaking earlier in an opening remark, the Director-General of the commission, Ambassador Joe Keshi, said the meeting was informed by the decision of the South-South governors on how to revive and strengthen education in the region.
His words: “And I think the governors and their commissioners for education do realise this and thus committed themselves to meet and collectively decide on how to try in reviving education in the South-South region.
Ambassador Keshi pointed out that the commission’s role and responsibility was to begin the preparatory work on the summit them to the committee before it goes to the governors for approval.”
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.