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UNIPORT SSANU Re-Elects Chairman

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Chairman of the University
of Port Harcourt branch of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Mr Bikume Syder, has been re-elected to serve another four years term in the organisation.
Announcing the result of the election into various offices monitored by our correspondent, Chairman of the Electoral Committee, Dr Mike Ngeh, disclosed that out of the 669 senior staff accredited for the exercise, Mr Syder polled a total of 311 votes to emerge winner over his contender, Mr Ovunda Marcus who polled 227 votes.
Incumbent Vice-Chairman, Mr Bernard Chukwu, polled 359 votes to also return to office, Mrs Otami Akubom won the position of Secretary-General with 233 votes.
Mr John Nwajiobi emerged as new treasurer of the union with 313 votes, while Franklyn Isaiah was elected financial secretary with a total of 365 votes.
Also, Mr Peter Edoziem obtained 223 vote to secure the position of Public Relations Officer. While Mrs Elizabeth Amadi emerged as Assistant Secertary with a total of 395 votes. For the position of Women Leader, Mrs Elizabeth Akani got the slot with 244 votes. Mr Peter Ezi polled 418 votes to secure the position of Ex-Officio member. However Francis Nwigonee was elected Trustee of the branch with a total of 234 votes.
SSANU’s National Vice-President (East), Dr Leku Ador, who led other national and zonal officers of the association to observe the election, inaugurated the new executive council, charging those elected to discharge their duties in line with the extant rules governing the association.
“I charge you to see your victory as an opportunity to serve, rather than seeing it as an avenue to lord it over the rank and file of SSANU members in this branch. You must listen to those you are leading and ensure that you democratize all decision-making processes to carry everybody along in the scheme of things’, the National Vice-President admonished them.
In his acceptance speech, Mr. Syder reiterated his commitment to the welfare of SSANU members in the university. “I want to thank all members of SSANU of giving us their mandate to run the association for the next four years, including those who did not vote for us.
Let me on behalf of the new executive council restate our readiness to serve you by promoting our collective welfare,” the re-elected chairman said.
Presenting the account of his stewardship in the first four yeas which commenced in 2012, Mr Syder listed refurbishing of the SSANU Secretariat at Delta Park, procurement of a fifteen-seater Toyota Hiace Bus, settlement of debt owed the UniPort Branch of Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), introduction of a Savings and Loans Scheme and upward review of welfare benefits due members, as some of his achievements in office.
“It is my hope that the focus of the union in this branch would be geared towards continued robust representation of members’ interest through constructive engagement with management, the building of a befitting permanent secretariat complex, staff conversation as first option of recruitment, consolidation of the SSANU-UniPort Welfare and Savings Scheme, loan facilities for members at 10% simple interest rate repayable over two years, quarterly presentation of accounts as enshrined in the recently amended SSANU constitution and sustenance of the union’s end-of-year get-together and christmas package, among other incentives,” Mr. Syder said.

 

Sogbeba Dokubo

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Parents Groan As Ebonyi Federal Varsity, Jacks School Fees To N1.5m

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Parents and guardians of students studying various disciplines at the David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences, Uburu, Ebonyi State have cried out over the jacking of tuition fees by management of the university and urged Minister of Education to urgently intervene on the matter.
A statement released by the Bursary Department of the institution indicates that Medicine and Surgery has increased of 42.86% from N1, 30, 000 in the 2023/2024 academic session to N1.5 Million in the new 2025/2026 session while Pharmacy and Nursing Sciences were both jacked up from N730, 000 in the 2023/2024 academic session to N1, 50, 000 in the new 2025/2026 academic session which represents approximately 43.84% increment.
Reacting to the new development, a business man who Chief Ozor Festus who claimed that his two children both gained admission to study Medicine and Surgery and Pharmacy, lamented that despite the brilliance of his children that made them gain admission on merit, it is now seeming like a curse as he cannot afford to cough out nearly N3M to process the entrance of his children for a Federal University he felt was funded by the Federal Government of Nigeria.
“A lot of parents are grumbling over the school fees for new students because it is a Federal University and not a private university. Even in private universities, the fees are not this outrageous.”, he said
He said although the fees covered their accommodations, it was yet on a very high side. “We are begging the Minister for Education to come and help us bring this high fees down to where other parents like us can afford.

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‘Grant-Funded Success Stories In Girls’ Education Inspiring’

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Sources have not only provided essential support for educational initiatives but have also catalysed a movement towards gender equality in education. The stories of success that emerge from these grant-funded programmes are not just statistics; they are narratives of resilience, ambition, and the profound impact that education can have on young girls and their communities.
By examining these success stories, we can better understand the multifaceted benefits of investing in girls’ education and the critical role that grants play in this endeavor. The importance of girls’ education cannot be overstated. Educated girls are more likely to become empowered women who contribute positively to their families and societies.
They tend to marry later, have fewer children, and invest more in their children’s education. However, despite these benefits, millions of girls around the world still face significant barriers to accessing quality education. Grant-funded programmes have emerged as a vital tool in addressing these challenges, providing resources that enable innovative solutions tailored to the unique needs of girls.
This article will explore various aspects of grant-funded success stories in girls’ education, highlighting how these initiatives are transforming lives and communities.
Organizations like the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) have implemented programs that directly target impoverished communities, ensuring that girls receive the support they need to attend school.
By removing financial obstacles, these grants empower families to invest in their daughters’ futures, fostering a culture where girls’ education is valued and prioritized. However, cultural norms and societal expectations often hinder girls from pursuing education.
Organizations like the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) have implemented programmes that directly target impoverished communities, ensuring that girls receive the support they need to attend school.
By removing financial obstacles, these grants empower families to invest in their daughters’ futures, fostering a culture where girls’ education is valued and prioritised. However, cultural norms and societal expectations often hinder girls from pursuing education.
Education grants can help challenge these stereotypes by funding awareness campaigns and community engagement initiatives that promote the importance of girls’ education. For example, the Malala Fund has supported grassroots organisations that work to change perceptions about girls’ roles in society.

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Implement Agreements Or Risk Industrial Crisis, ASUU Tells FG

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The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has asked the Federal Government to finalise all agreements entered with university teachers or risk an industrial crisis.
The lecturers decried what they described as the flip-flop disposition of successive governments towards collective bargaining, which has created an atmosphere of distrust and has taken extra efforts and energy on the part of the current Federal Government to dispel.
In a statement entitled ‘Act Now To Avert The Looming Crisis’ and signed by ASUU President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, the union said, “Nothing illustrates this antipathy better than the frustrated attempts to conclude the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement, despite submission of a draft agreement by the Alhaji Yayale Ahmed committee to government since December 2024, eight clear months ago.
“Every major dispute ASUU has had with governments since 2012, when the 2009 Agreement was due for renegotiation, emanated from failure to respect the provisions of the signed document on conditions of service, funding, university autonomy and academic freedom, and
other matters, including the review of the laws governing the National Universities Commission (NUC) and Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
“Yet elite Nigerians are quick to blame the universities for ‘producing unemployable graduates’ and failure to initiate innovative research for addressing the country’s problems, our members feel forgotten, shamed and demoralised by past and present governments.
“ASUU has ceaselessly warned owners (government and visitors) of public universities – the Federal and State Governments – of the
Consequences of breeding a disempowered, dissatisfied, and disorientated intellectual workforce.
For the umpteenth time, ASUU invites all genuine patriots to prevail on Nigeria’s Federal and State Governments to address all lingering labour issues in the Nigerian University System to avert another looming industrial crisis.”

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