Education
AIBC Graduates 79 In PH
No fewer than 79
students, last Saturday graduated from the Alpha Institute of Broadcasting and Communication (AIBC), Port Harcourt.
The event, which was held at the school premises on Harold Wilson Drive, Port Harcourt, attracted a mammoth crowd of people from all walks of life, who thronged the venue to witness the 21st-28th batches graduation ceremony of the students of the institute.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony last Saturday, one of the founders and Director General of the institute, Pastor Bernard Graham – Douglas said: “The essence of the school is to train and retrain people in broadcasting as only the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) and the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) Training College in Jos is not enough to train prospective broadc-asters across the 36 states in Nigeria.
“We have 36 states in Nigeria with each state having, at least, one radio and television stations owned by the government of each state. We also have, at least, one radio and televison stations owned by private individuals in each state. This, in essence, means that there are multiplicity of radio and television stations in the states, and so, we need to get people trained and retrained to meet the rising manpower need in the industry.
“This idea of running a broadcasting school in Rivers State has been going on in the hearts of the founding fathers of the institute, and we decided to bridge the gap as only the FRCN and NTA training college in Jos cannot do all the work alone. Today, lots of testimonies abound as the graduands from this institute are scattered all over the world, doing very well,” Graham-Duoglas added.
He added that the school has produced the best brains who were contributing significantly to the revolution and transformation in the broadcast industry, particularly in Nigeria, stressing that the 79 graduating students had shown exceptional skills and expertise as broadcasters, presenters, speech communicators, among others.
The Head of Administration and Accounts, Bright Uturu, said the school offered courses in Basic Broadcasting and Presentation, Speech Communication, Broadcast Journalism, Broadcast Engineering, Television Production, and Script Writing, and challenged the graduands to excel in the thriving broadcast industry as good ambassadors of Alpha Institute.
One of the best graduating students, who offered two courses at a stretch, Dr Ifeanyi Okechukwu Akiri, said the school has positively impacted his life by enhancing his ability to communicate without fear, and commended the institute for assembling world-class broadcasters and communicators to impart sound knowledge and skills into students, promising not to disappoint the management of the institute and the staff.
Susan Serekara-Nwikhana
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.