Education
Provost Wants FTC Moved To Permanent Site
An appeal has gone to the Cross River State Governor, Senator Liyel Imoke, to intervene in resolving all bottlenecks hindering the development and movement of the Federal Training Centre, Calabar to its permanent site at Odukpani in Odukpani Local Government Area.
The appeal was made by the Provost of the Federal Training Centre, Calabar, Mrs. Veta Majoroh on the occasion of the 2013 students week celebration held at Federal Training Centre ground along Ndidem Usang Iso Road, Calabar.
Mrs. Majoroh disclosed that the Federal Training Centre, Calabar is one of the six Federal Training Centres in the country located in each of the six geo-political zones of the country with that of the South-West located at Lagos, South-East, at Enugu and South-South, in Calabar, Cross River State.
Others according to the Provost, are those of North Central Zone situated at Ilorin, North-West, at Kaduna, while that of North-East, is located at Maiduguri.
The initial mandate of the Federal Training Centre, according to the Provost, was to cater for the training needs of the Junior and Middle level manpower needs of the service, mainly in Secretarial practices, legislative reporting and clerical duties.
She stated further that the goals, objectives and programmes of the Centre, have been redefined to conform with the current reform and transformation objectives of the Federal Government.
The present Federal Training Centre she explained, have the mandate to train and address the skill gap of officers from grade level 06 – 09 with the aim of improving their competencies thereby helping them to build a challenging, rewarding and mobile career, spanning across the public and private sectors of the economy.
On courses offered at the Centre, the Provost explained that the Centre offers Higher and National Diploma in Office Technology and Management, Higher and National Diploma in Public Administration, Diploma in Computer Science, Diploma in Business Administration, as well as Certificate in Supervisory General Management.
Admission, she explained, was not restricted to federal establishments alone but to all States and Local Government Areas, lamenting however, that the host State had not taken advantage of the training programmes at the centre, which according to her, only the States of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Rivers, Edo and Delta have been using the centre to train and retrain their officers to enhance the performance and efficiency of their duties.
She appealed for greater interest and concern for the progress, development, survival and administration of the centre as a Federal Institution for the South-South located in the State.
In her speech, the Head of Service, Ntunkae (Mrs.) Mary-Theresa Ikwen, mni, commended the authorities of the Federal Training Centre for its contributions towards the training of the needed Human Capacity especially in the lower and middle cadre for the public and private sectors of the economy.
Ntunkae Ikwen, lauded the students for celebrating its week and urged them to exhibit the needed quality expected of them as students of the training centre.
On the request for intervention in the protracted bottleneck working against the movement of the centre to its permanent site at Odukpani, the Head of Service called for patience and assured them of contacting the necessary authorities to address the issue.
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.