Education
16m Children Are Out Of School – RSU’s Inaugural Lecturer
Over 16 million children across the country have been said to be out of school.
The Head of Department, Library and Information Service, Rivers State University (RSU), Professor Blessing Esuru Ahiauzu, revealed this at the 67th Inaugural Lecture of the institution, penultimate wednesday.
Delivering her lecture on the topic The Voice of Knowledge Managers: Library Service, Knowledge Applications and the Society’ , Ahiauzu noted that majority of Nigerian children numbering over 16 million are out of school, regretting that these children who are yet to be enrolled in school have been considered as nuisance by the society around them.
Ahiauzu, who described librarians as the managers of information and knowledge said they have the responsibility of reducing the number of these street children through the promotion of reading culture among them.
The veteran librarian said”, there are so many children in this country who are out of school. They are yet to be enrolled. In 2006, there were seven million of them. In 2017, they were 13 million and in 2019, they were 16 million of these children”.
“We see these children as nuisance and we clear them as we clear our wastes. But they are our children. You and I have roles to play and we can achieve this by promoting reading culture among these children, introduce books to them and that way, a child can be rescued”, she said.
Earlier in his opening remarks, the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Nlerum Sunday Okogbule described librarians as experts who manage information for the benefit of the society.
While noting that the library was a very important section in the university community, Okogbule maintained that it had contributed immensely to the advancement of the institution saying”, research without the library is nothing”.
Highlights of the occasion include citation on the inaugural lecturer, presentation of the lecture monogram: ‘Anthology In Library and Information Science’, by the former governor of Rivers State, Sir Celestine Omehia, among others.
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.