Education
Participants Hail Ministry On Workshop
Participants at the just concluded workshop on education
held in Port Harcourt have rated the programme high, saying the United Nations
Education Fund, (UNICEF) made invaluable contributions to the knowledge of beneficiaries in terms of
education planning.
A Deputy Director in the Ministry of Education, Mrs Ibiso
West, noted that the knowledge acquired at the workshop would be deployed to
boost education development from the kindergarten level in the state.
Speaking to The Tide
in an exclusive interview, Mrs Ibiso West acknowledged that when you send a
child to a better school with necessary facilities put in place, as a parent,
you have made an “investment case”.
She said investing in that child means investing in the
future of the child who would tomorrow become useful to the parent and society
at large.
In a closing remark, the Director, Special projects,
Ministry of Education, Mr. Hanachor Ogbonda Hanachor, who spoke on behalf of
the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Richard Ofuru, reminded the participants that
“investment case” is their job as no other person can do it for them.
His words: “I want to tell all of us that this is our job,
nobody can do it for us. And for the fact that we have participated in this
workshop, we now know the philosophy behind it as well as the history, vision,
mission and the objectives.
At every point in time, we will certainly be called upon to
do one thing or the other to ensure that the programme succeeds.”
According to him, the infrastructure and equipment provided
in schools form 10 per cent of the work in education while human capacity
development of those who would drive the programme has 90
per cent. He said that if the human capacity
is properly grounded in their jobs, the objectives of the programme would be
achieved.
A UNICEF resource person, Mr George Igelegbai who delivered lectures on “Five Programming
Principles of the United Nations “(UN) Systems,” said the participants were
sensitised on the need for a review of the state education sector plan in order
to enhance the plan based on the evidence on ground.
Mr. Igelegbai noted that it requires a thorough analysis of
the situation of education in Rivers State as at today in order to be able to
identify its area of strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to
successful, rapid and adequate development of the sector in the state with a
view to providing opportunity to replanning.
Eunice Choko-Kayode
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.