Education
Childhood Memories Inspired Me – Author
Project Director, Port Harcourt World Book Capital, Mrs Koko Kalango (r) and author of the book, “The Virtuous Woman”, Profeasor Zaynab Alkali, at the presentation of the 12th “Book of the Month” in Port Harcourt.
Photo by Sogbeba Dokubo.
The author of the “Book
of the Month” of March, 2015, Professor Zaynab Alkali, Department of English Nasarawa State University, Keffi, has revealed that memories of her childhood as a teenager inspired her to write the book, “The Virtuous Woman”.
Speaking to The Tide at the weekend in Presidential Hotel, Port Harcourt, venue of the presentation of the book, professor Alkali hinted that the book was a quest to present the life of a typical strong-willed village girl in the northern part of Nigeria.
“I think childhood memories (inspired me) because as you can see, it’s a kind of tracking my journey when I was in my teens from my village to my school, as a typical girl from the northern part of Nigeria who aspires to be educated”, she said.
The book, a narrative of the travails of a strong-willed girl from a humble northern family in her quest to be educated, even with the disadvantage of disfigurement caused by polio attack as a child, the author said, has not had the expected impact on the society of its setting.
“It has not impacted enough, actually, because most of the things in the book are still happening. Though I can say that the book is still relevant to today’s situation, the impact of the book is not much.
“This is because for a book to make an impact, it has to reach the people. But there is a problem in that because people are not reading”, she said.
In spite of this, however, she said the book has a lot to offer to school children morally.
“There are some pieces of moral advice in the book which school children who are able to read the book may gain from what has been written”, she explained.
CommenTing on the “Book of the Month” a former don at the University of Port Harcourt, Professor Ebiegeri J. Alagoa, noted that while the programme will improve the reading culture of Nigerians, its significance is confined in the city.
“It is signifant, but the success has been confined largely to Port Harcourt. I do expect that later, there should be a plan to send it to cover the whole of Rivers State and I hope other parts of the Niger Delta.”
“The virtuous woman”, which was the 12th book to be presented as “Book of the Month” to mark the one year of Port Harcourt being the World Book Capital from April 2014.
Highlight of the occasion was discussion of key elements of the book by students comprising two males and two females picked from four secondary schools in Port Harcourt.
There was also drama presentation on the book.
Stories by Sogbeba Dokubo
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.