Education
Delta Inaugurates 261 Marshals To Tackle Examination Malpractices
The Delta State Government in collaboration with Examination Ethics Marshal International (EEMI) has inaugurated 261 marshals to promote best practices in its education sector.
The Chairman of EEMI, Mr Ike Onyechere disclosed this to newsmen last Saturday after the close of the second phase of a two-day training/workshop on Examination Ethics which ended last Friday in Warri.
Onyechere said that 551 exam officers and teachers participated in both phases of the training of which 261 participants who passed the diagnostic test were inaugurated.
“The total number of exam officers and teachers trained in both phases are 551. In Warri, we trained 257 and after they undergo a diagnostic test, 111 were qualified and inaugurated,” he said.
Onyechere said every other intervention including infrastructure and funding in the education sector might not bring the desired result so long as exam malpractices persisted in the education system.
“Government and other agencies are making intervention in terms of funding, infrastructure, teaching and learning facilities but one fundamental thing is lacking which is the moral infrastructure.
“There is decay, corruption and exam malpractices which have exemplified the collapse of moral infrastructure in the education sector.
“That is why we are liaising with the Delta government who has seen that in addition to other interventions, there is need to rebuild the moral infrastructure in education.
“ They will go back to their schools and begin to pass the message of best practices, to themselves, others and also serve as role models to the students because it is fundamental for everyone to deliver quality education,” he said.
The chairman said that plans were underway to integrate the private secondary schools in the state into the program.
Also, Dr Godwin Edozien, Special Adviser to the Delta Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Dr Chiedu Ebie said government was doing everything possible to improve the standard of education in the state.
He said the Teachers Professional Development Centre (TPDC course 041 Exam Ethics) was an initiative of the government to train 571 teachers and officers of the ministry of education on acts of exam integrity.
“The essence of this program is to give our exams integrity, if our exams have integrity, the product of the education system will also have intergrity and translate into high market value.
“The marshals should know that they are agents of change, they should help the children.
“ If they adhere strictly to the rules of EEMI, I think in a short while we will see the transformation,” he said.
A professor of Highway Engineering at the Rivers State University (RSU), Prof. Emmanuel Osilemme Ekwulo, has identified poor designs, inadequate materials, insufficient testing, and lack of accountability as major obstacles to the success of highway construction projects in the country.
Ekwulo made this remark in Port Harcourt last Wednesday during the 128th inaugural lecture series of the university, where he presented a lecture titled “Removing Roadblocks: Rebuilding a Foundation for Reliable Highway Pavement Infrastructure.”
The university don lamented the consistent premature failures of road construction projects nationwide, despite huge investments by the government at all levels, attributing the problem to neglected basics and systemic principles in the industry.
According to him, rebuilding the foundation technically, institutionally, and ethically is crucial to building strong and lasting pavements.
Ekwulo emphasized the need for political will, professional integrity, and commitment to engineering excellence to overcome the challenges.
“The metaphoric roadblocks are those challenges causing premature failures,” Ekwulo said, adding that identifying and addressing these roadblocks is key to rebuilding the nation’s highways.
He recommended that institutions involved in road design and construction adopt a mechanistic-empirical design approach, and develop a comprehensive framework for implementing the Nigerian Imperial and Mechanistic Pavement Design System (NEMPADS) approach.
Ekwulo also advocated for mandatory traffic load analysis, strengthened university-industry collaboration, and funding for applied pavement research.
Corruption, he noted, is a major challenge in the profession, saying severe punitive measures are needed to curb shabby practices leading to premature road failures.
The Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Isaac Zeb-Obipi, described Ekwulo’s lecture as interesting and intriguing, highlighting the importance of implementing solutions to Nigeria’s highway challenges.
The Vice Chancellor also described Ekwulo’s proposals as practical and applicable to government and industry stakeholders.
He said the university is committed to research aligned with national development goals, referencing its NDV-12 responsive consortium production framework.
Zeb-Obipi noted that Ekwulo’s recommendations are timely and solution-driven, and will contribute to addressing Nigeria’s highway challenges.
Akujobi Amadi
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