Education
NGO Donates Educational Materials To Community
Anneozeng Ogozi Aid Foundation (AOAF), a Non-Governmental Organisation, yesterday donated educational materials and medicines to Kaida Community in Abuja.
The Founder of AOAF, Mr Anneozeng Ogozi said that she deemed it fit to provide Kaida community children with writing materials such as books, pencils, erasers, sharpeners and pens, to help foster education within the community.
She said the community had just one non-functional hospital and that prompted the need to also provide the village with malaria test kits, drips and deworming medicines, amongst others.
She said that her foundation had realised that the educational and medical system in Kaida was poor and needed the intervention of NGOs, federal government and other well meaning Nigerians.
“Children in this community look really malnourished with blotted stomachs and the hair on most girls have changed colour to red,” she said.
Ogozi said that her foundation was willing to place 20 randomly selected students on scholarship.
Our source reports that Ogozi, who initially wanted to sponsor just 20 students ended up sponsoring 36 students after seeing how passionate majority wanted to be selected for the scholarship.
Among those selected were orphans in the school and the best academically performing students, amongst others.
Ogozi said she decided to increase the number of beneficiaries because she realised that 20 was too low to be selected from the total number of students in the school.
“They all need help. They all cannot help themselves, they all cannot afford things for themselves.
“We will discuss with the teachers to know how their administration works here.
“We will make enquiries on, if the children pay school fees or if they are being taught for free, as that will also help us know how to place our support and assistance,” she said.
On the foundation’s visit to a nursery and primary school headed by missionaries in the community, the classrooms were found in poor conditions.
“This place is so timid that when the children see you, they start running so you will have to call them, make friends with them and let people who understand their language tell them you are not here to harm them.
“We first took them on a play session outside, just to calm their nerves as their classroom environment was really nothing to write home about,” Ogozi said.
The foundation also gave out clothes and footwears to some of the students they noticed were in school without footwears.
A Primary three beneficiary of the scholarship, Mary Paul, expressed gratitude for the kind gesture of the foundation.
She said that she was happy to get many writing materials but would like well meaning Nigerians to assist in restructuring the school.
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.