Education
Int’l Students’ Hostel: Speaker Hails Unilag Management For Vision
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, on Friday praised the University of Lagos management for its doggedness that resulted in the construction of a 500-bed hostel for international students.
Gbajabiamila made the commendation while inspecting the hostel project in the university, expresssing satisfaction at the level of implementation.
“I must commend the Vice-Chancellor of this university, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, for his doggedness and vision.
“He came to Abuja not once, not twice, to discuss this matter with me; we thank God that together, we have been able to put this together.
“I am surprised to see the level of development so far and even more surprised that from inquiries from the contractor and other experts, by the next nine months, the project will be up and running.
” That is very impressive,” the lawmaker said.
He said that, when completed, the hostel would contribute to a conducive learning environment.
“If you may know, this is the university where I graduated from; accommodation has always been a problem.
“We hope that this will be part of the solution to accommodation problem for our children; learning environment is not just about the classroom, but even about outside the classroom.
“How comfortable your environment is, how easy it is for you to get from home to the classroom, are all factors to consider.
“We look forward to commissioning it,” he said.
On his message to Nigerians in the new year, the speaker said: “It is a message of hope.
“This hope even goes round the whole world. We all know what last year was for every body – challenges.
“The pandemic (COVID-19) is something nobody anticipated or saw coming; we hope that it will go with the outgone year.
“We are hopeful that things will get better, we have to continue to live with abiding faith in God.
“He alone knows what he is doing; He will keep us this year; we have survived last year, this year will be a better year for everyone.
The Vice-Chancellor of the institution, said at the event, that the university management was satisfied that the project started as scheduled.
“By September/October this year, the project will be completed; that will bring the issue of accommodation for our students to ease out gradually.
“This is a big sign of hope for the university, we are happy that we are starting this year with this type of project,” he said.
On his plan for the institution in 2021, Ogundipe said that the university’s management was working hard to ensure that the university’s presence would be strongly felt globally.
He added that management would ensure that such presence would be felt stronger in the area of research.
“ I am sure that the university of Lagos would be more visible this year than it had been in the past years and that there will be more peace and stability in the institution.
“Also, we plan to have our convocation as soon as possible this year,” he said.
The contractor handling the project, Mr Temitope Awolola, noted the project was a two-storey building that would house no fewer than 500 international students.
“This project which started in December 2020, will be carried out in two phases; hopefully, it will be completed in September this year,” Awolola said.
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.