Education
Don Makes Case For Girl-Child Education
A lecturer at the Faculty of Law of the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Mrs Obraori Peters Adiela has emphasised the need for special attention to be paid to Girl-Child education.
Mrs Obraori Peters Adiela, who was speaking at a seminar on the importance of Girl-Child education in Port Harcourt, recently frowned at a situation where some girls are forced to be married to men who are old enough to be their grandfathers.
This, she said, automatically denies the girl-child the right of going to school, adding that their education is therefore disrupted, while they end up as illiterates.
According to her, approximately about 70 million young women these days are married before the age of 18 noting that 30 per cent of school age girls drop out of school having already begun child bearing at an early age.
She frowned at a situation where some girl children are persuaded to studying courses for home keeping, home economics and home management, catering, fashion and design.
She urged parents not to regard the training of the girl-child as bad investment as it would lead to uninformed mind and they would be dumb in national and international issues.
She said the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights provides the first international recognition of the right to education when it stated that, “everyone has the right to education”.
She emphasised that the girl-child right to education is not only an economic right but also a social and cultural as well as a civil and political right since people cannot fully realise their freedom without education.
“Education for the girl-child just as any other child is generally considered to be one of the core rights and as the basis for achieving other rights”, she explained.
Statistical monitoring of education according to her, reveal that the national literacy rate for female is only 56 per cent as compared to 72 per cent for male.
She argued that if the girl-child is given the right to good and quality education, there is no way a child below the age of 18 years will be married.
She appealed to government to pay more attention to the education of the girl child as well as make free and compulsory education available to them.
She advised on flexibility in the educational policies that would enable efficient and progressive changes to respond to girl-child educational needs.
She expressed appreciation to the Rivers State Government that has made education free in the primary and secondary schools urging other state governments to emulate the gesture.
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.