Education

FG Sets Target For Private COEs

Published

14 years ago

April 30, 2012

The Federal Government is committed to ensuring quality and standards in privately-owned colleges of education, Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), Prof. Mohammed Junaid, said in Abuja at the commencement of accreditation visits to private colleges of education in the country.

He said the exercise was aimed at ensuring that private colleges of education complied with the Federal Government’s guidelines and the NCCE regulations or face sanctions.

He said that it was the first time the Commission would be verifying private colleges to assess the quality of schools that produced teachers for the country.

“We will assess the level of infrastructure in the colleges, the student/teacher ratio, the quality of teaching staff and facilities,’’ he said.

The executive secretary said that the number of colleges of education was on the increase while the Commission approved only 36.

“The number of private colleges of education is soaring. “Whereas in 1971 we had only two private colleges of education, this figure rose to 21 between 1977 and 2008.

“Thirteen more were established in the 2009 and 2010 period, giving a total number of 36 privately owned colleges of education that has been sanctioned by the National Commission for Colleges of Education.

“You know that quality is the other side of the quantity coin. “While numbers are soaring and multiplying, then the other issue of quality becomes very critical. “So one of the major objectives of our coming out is to ensure that the standards that we have set for the Nigerian certificate in education are being maintained.’’

Junaid said that teachers were very critical in the education system because they lay the foundation for development and were usually assigned to students whether they liked it or not.

He said that students could not choose who their teachers should be, unlike doctors or lawyers, who could be changed due to dissatisfaction in their services.

“We don’t want to wait for the products of our colleges to be out before the users tell us that they are not good quality, we have to solve all the issues now.”

“We carried out verification exercise to states and federal colleges of education in 2007 and 2008, and today we are flagging off the verification exercise to privately owned colleges of education across the country.

“There would be many other teams visiting privately-owned colleges of education throughout the country doing system assessment, comparing what we have on the ground with the norms and standards that we have set at the Commission for the running of colleges of education.

“One of the things we’ll be looking for is compliance with the Federal Government regulations and the National Commission for Colleges of Education policy guidelines for running of colleges of education; we would verify that these are being complied with.”

Junaid said that henceforth accreditation and verification by the Commission would continue in all federal, state and private colleges of education.

Education

Uniport Appoints Prof. Princewill R. Chike as 10th Vice-Chancellor

Published

7 days ago

June 8, 2026

The Tide

The Governing Council of the University of Port Harcourt has approved the appointment of Professor Princewill R. Chike as the 10th Vice-Chancellor of the University.

Prof. Chike, a former Commissioner for Health in Rivers State, will succeed Prof. Georgewill Owunari whose tenure ends on July 13, 2026.

A statement signed by the University’s Public Relations Officer, Dr. Sam Kpenu and made available to _The Tide_, said the appointment was made by the 17th Governing Council following the successful conclusion of the selection process.

“The process was conducted in strict compliance with the provisions of the Universities (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act and the University of Port Harcourt Act,” the statement read.

It added that the process involved the constitution of a Search Team and a Joint Council-Senate Selection Board. Both bodies carried out their responsibilities in accordance with extant laws and regulations governing the appointment of Vice-Chancellors in Nigerian universities.

According to the statement, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Senator Mao Ohuabunwa, congratulated Professor Chike on his appointment.

Senator Ohuabunwa expressed confidence in Prof. Chike’s ability to provide visionary leadership for the continued growth and development of the University.

Professor Princewill R. Chike is expected to formally assume office as the 10th Vice-Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt on July 13, 2026.

By: Akujobi Amadi

Education

Education commissioner Commends WAEC Conduct in Rivers ,, Vows Sanctions for Malpractice

Published

7 days ago

June 8, 2026

The Tide

The Rivers State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Peters Nwagor, has commended the orderly conduct of the ongoing 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination in the state and urged schools to sustain the standard.

Dr. Nwagor gave the commendation recently during a monitoring tour of selected secondary schools in Port Harcourt and environs where the WAEC exam is ongoing.

The commissioner, who was accompanied by directors and monitors from the Ministry of Education, said he was impressed with the peaceful atmosphere at the centres visited.

“The students conducted themselves properly and wrote their papers under conducive conditions. Invigilators and supervisors also performed their duties professionally,” he stated.

Nwagor noted that the Rivers State Government had invested heavily to ensure the smooth and credible conduct of the examination across the state

He urged candidates to reciprocate government’s effort by shunning all forms of examination malpractice and focusing on their studies.

“Government has done so much to ensure successful examinations in our schools. Students should take advantage of it by remaining focused,” the commissioner said.

While no case of malpractice was recorded in the centres inspected, Dr. Nwagor warned that any principal, teacher, invigilator, or official caught aiding malpractice would face strict sanctions in line with regulations.

He also commended school administrators, teachers, WAEC officials, and security personnel for upholding the integrity of the process. Centres visited included County Grammar School, Ikwerre/Etche; Government Comprehensive Secondary School, Borokiri; Government Secondary School, Borokiri; and Pabod Model Secondary School.

By: Akujobi Amadi

Education

RSU Law Professor Calls for Periodic Review of Nigeria’s Criminal Laws

Published

7 days ago

June 8, 2026

The Tide

A Professor of Criminal Justice and Law at the Faculty of Law, Rivers State University, Nkpolu-Oroworukwu, Port Harcourt, Prof. Clifford Anaele Nwanyanwu, has advocated for periodic review of the nation’s criminal justice administration laws to reflect current societal needs and challenges.

Prof. Nwanyanwu noted that many of the criminal justice laws in use today date back to the pre-colonial era. He questioned their efficiency in addressing modern criminal justice administration, adding that the complex nature of adjudication often allows crime to thrive.

He made the call while delivering the university’s 132nd Inaugural Lecture on Wednesday at the Senate Conference Auditorium titled: “Society as Criminal Enterprise: Unravelling a Complex Justice System.”

The erudite legal scholar clarified that the lecture was not meant to condemn the country’s justice system. Instead, he said it was intended to highlight areas that require urgent attention.

He expressed concern that criminal justice practice in Nigeria is more dysfunctional than functional, and stressed that he wants to see a system that works effectively for all citizens.

“The essence of criminal justice administration is due process, and anything contrary is not it. Plea bargains help to fast-track trial processes and reduce delays,” he stated.

However, Prof. Nwanyanwu expressed worry that the sums recovered through plea bargain arrangements are often meagre compared to the wealth looted, noting that this contradicts the purpose of the arrangement.

To strengthen the system, he recommended merit-based recruitment of judicial officers with proven character and integrity. He also called for adequate funding, infrastructure development, removal of political interference, and ethical reorientation within the judiciary.

The law professor further recommended that the state should pay compensation to citizens when security officers are found culpable for arbitrary killings, in line with the principle of vicarious liability.

In his remarks, Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Isaac Zeb-Obipi, commended the lecturer. He described the lecture as timely and relevant to addressing the nagging challenges of crime in society.

Prof. Zeb-Obipi expressed concern over the justice system’s inability to curb the rising rate of criminal activities in the state. He added that through inaugural lectures, the university continues to provide solution-based approaches to societal challenges.

Our correspondent reports that the thought-provoking lecture was attended by stakeholders in the judicial system, judges, magistrates, scholars, and members of the university community.

By: Akujobi Amadi