Education
2,000 Rivers Teachers To Benefit From Promotion Arrears
An estimated 2000
teachers in Rivers State are billed to be paid their promotion arrears from 2009 – 2010.
Some of the affected teachers disclosed this to The Tide midweek, stating that they had been assured by the State Government.
Two of the teachers, who spoke on condition of anonymity, stated that they had gone through the verification exercise which ended last week following the appointment of an 11-man committee by the State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike to investigate the non-payment of promotion arrears of teachers/staff of Senior Secondary School Board from 2009 and 2010.
“We have suffered since 2009 due to the non-payment of our promotion arrears. Nothing was done about it even when we made all efforts for the previous government to pay us.
“That is why we are happy that just few months after his being sworn in as Governor (Gov) Wike has decided that he is going to pay us. The fact that he listened to our short plea is indicative that he will pay”, they said.
When The Tide contacted chairman of the 11-man committee, Dr Godpower A. I. Nwogu, he affirmed that the committee was working assiduously to ascertain the genuine cases in order to make their report to the Governor.
Dr Nwogu, who is a commissioner II, in the State Civil Service Committee revealed that as at press time about 1500 teachers had been confirmed and that the number is likely to increase to 2000 and beyond.
The Tide’s investigation revealed that following the inability of the previous leadership of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in the state to pursue the payment under the immediate past government, the present NUT leadership met with the State Governor on the issue.
Sequel to the meeting, the Governor set up the 11 –man committee to carryout a verification exercise to ascertain the actual number of teachers involved.
Other members of the committee are: Sir Mike Elechi, John Bamson, Ohuo Uche Uche Fred and Nkpogene O. Lucky.
Others are Okechukwu Nwadiukwu, Ody Patience Azubuike and Cyril Amaewhule. The rest are Nwala Innocent, Douglas, T. G. as well as Kinikanwo Elechi.
SogbebaDokubo
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.