In a bid to improve Engineering practice and learning in Rivers State and Nigeria in general, the management of Ken Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic, Bori, has approved its collaboration with the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Port Harcourt Branch, to enhance Engineering practice and academic learning.
The Rector, Kenpoly, Dr. Ledum Suanu Gwarah, stated this when the Executive of NSE, Port Harcourt Branch, paid a courtesy visit to the management of the institution.
Gwarah, who expressed delight over visit, said knowledge sharing is very important to improved learning for the students and members of the society.
Assuring that Kenpoly under his watch will collaborate with NSE, Port Harcourt Branch, to enhance academic learning and Engineering practices, he said “It is good to practice Engineering both on paper, and in the field”.
He commended the leadership of NSE, Port Harcourt, for establishing Eleme Branch in the state to boost the practice.
Kenpoly, he said, has five schools in Engineering studies and currently has over 25 departments.
The institution, the Rector continued, “is moving forward with màny of its Departmental courses unbundled”.
Earlier in her speech, Chairman, NSE, Port Harcourt, Engineer Idaeresoari Ateke, said the society was on the visit to seek greater collaboration between the two bodies to enhance learning and practices.
Engineer Ateke said her visit shows the importance the NSE places on collaboration and partnership between the two esteemed bodies.
“Our visit today shows the importance we place on collaboration and partnership between the two bodies”, she said.
According to her, Kenpoly serves as a beacon of excellence in promoting the advancement of the Engineering practice, education and research across Nigeria.
“Engineering lecturers at Ken Saro-Wiwa have a long standing reputation for academic excellence and innovation in Engineering education.
“We believe that by joining forces and leveraging each other’s strength, we can achieve great strides in advancing the field of Engineering.
“As lecturers, we can mentor the students in the Engineering Department to excel higher”, she stated.
She said further that “NSE is working together to advocate the policies that promote the growth and development of the Engineering profession. We can contribute to the continuous learning and development of our peers”.
The Chairman appealed to members of the society to pay their outstanding dues to improve the NSE practice.
She also urged members to attend NSE activities in the state and assist to develop local contents.

Chinedu Wosu

Prof. Muhammad AbdulAziz, the immediate past Vice Chancellor of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi state, has advocated drug tests for lecturers to sanitise the university system.
Mr AbdulAziz stated this in a valedictory speech to the Senate of the University at a handing-over ceremony to his successor, Prof. Sani Kunya, the new acting Vice Chancellor of the institution.
While commending the decision by the Federal Ministry of Education to introduce drug tests for students seeking admission to all universities, he said such tests should be extended to lecturers.
According to him, it would further sanitise the university system and promote sanctity and academic excellence.
“We have discussed with the Federal Ministry of Education and they want to introduce to all universities that before any student would be registered in the universities, he or she must undergo drug tests.
“If students should undergo drug tests, I believe that even some of us, the lecturers, need to undergo the same test so that we know our status.
“We also have to volunteer ourselves to have this test done on us because we have to sanitise the university.
“If the students are to be subjected to drug tests to determine their mental health status, nothing is wrong if the lecturers too are subjected to the same test.
That is the only way to check excesses in the university system,” he said.
Mr AbdulAziz said the modest achievements recorded during his tenure were in the areas of infrastructural development, academic content development and community services.
He said the achievements recorded could not have been made possible without the support of all stakeholders in the system.
He appreciated the federal government for the support rendered to the University through the Federal Ministry of Education and its various agencies like the National Universities Commission and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund.
Read Also:Students to undertake drug test before admission UniAbuja
Also speaking, the new acting VC of the university expressed gratitude to the Senate for finding him worthy of the honour and to the federal government for his confirmation.
“I want to assure you that I will justify the confidence reposed in me by not disappointing you all.

A  Professor of Economics in the Faculty of Social Sciences University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Prof Willie J. Okowa has called on government at all levels to increase her  Education  sectorial budgetary  allocation to twenty percent of their annual budget , saying that such efforts will improve the development of education in the country.
Okowa said each government wether local, state or federal governments should devote an increased proportion of her annual budget to education such that in the next five to ten years , so that we can see at least 20 percent of her budget to the education sector.
He made this call while presenting the 42nd convocation lectures at  the just concluded Iaue convocation ceremonies held at the university auditorium in port harcourt, recently.
He posisted that the economy has a nexus with sustainable higher education to the effect that a robust economy plays a key role in the sustainability of higher .education , while a sustainable higher education plays a supportive economic growth and development
“On the hand,a failing economy can hardly support a sustainable higher education”.
According to him ,a growing economy easily provides the finances to fund sustainable higher education while a education provides the relevant skills and the manpower needs required to propel economic growth and development,”of course, The Inadequate provision of higher educational facilities will fail to the manpower needs required by the economy to support its growth and development”
“The ability of an economy to adquately find higher education also depends on the rate of the population ,the higher the rate of growth of population, the more the number of the people that require higher education .Hence ,a rapid population growth puts more pressure on the ability of the economy to adquately fund higher education, irrespective of its performance.”
“Population growth , economic growth and the adequate funding of higher education are therefore intricately interlinked.The adequacy of the funds that an economy provides to finance higher education also depends on how well the managers of our education institutions manage such funds.
If people who lack character , integrity and merit are appointed to helms of affairs institutions,then funds can hardly be adequate .on the other hands ,if people of character, integrity and merit are given such appointments ,then the outcome will be much better” he stated.
The erudite scholar opined that Nigerian universities and colleges are also passing through strange times and outlined outdated laboratories , inadequate classrooms, adding that many students involved in drugs and prostitution.

By: Akujobi Amadi