Education
Corruption: Nigeria’s Only Functional Industry -Gov Amaechi
Rivers State Governor,
Rt Hon. Chibuike Amaechi has identified “ theft” as the only viable industry under the leadership of President Goodluck Jonathan.
He made the declaration recently at the 30th-32nd convocation ceremony of the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education (IAUE) in which he was the visitor to the university.
Recalling his days as a student unionist in the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), the Governor noted that as students, they stand the chance of calling their leaders to order when the need arises, such as the present, which had seen the federal government fail in all its responsibilities to its citizenry but has excelled in “stealing public fund, with students not knowing what they should do.
Governor Amaechi, who made the declaration in his speech at the occasion asked rhetorically, “how many of you know what the national issues are?”
Contrarily, in his days as a student unionist, students were interested in national issues and universities were closed because of students’ agitations for a better society rather than lecturers’ strike because lecturers never went to strike.
“After us (student unionists), most of the rest student union officers became contractors to government, and they were proud to say. “I saw the governor last week, ‘we had meeting with the commissioner for education, we were with the president”, he said.
Students, he hinted are now more interested in what would benefit them individually than as a state or country.
Consequently, according to the Governor, the government of the day does what it likes even to the detriment of its citizenry.
Governor Amaechi thus urged the graduands to not only see themselves as graduates but also those who need to be employed.
Debunking the federal governments alleged employment of 1 million Nigerians, Amaechi challenged the federal government to name the type of jobs, noting that, ‘the only industry in Nigeria today is the industry of stealing money and nobody is being prosecuted.
Earlier, the Pro-Chancellor of the IAUE and chairman of the 7th Governing Council, HRH (Dr) King M. Ikuru, had in his address appreciated the state government’s contribution to education in the state, specifically the IAUE.
He, however, noted that ‘funding of educational institution and its programmes is a costly and worthwhile venture, hence he urged the Governor to continue to give education a pride of place in the scheme of stately functions as always.
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.