Education

ASUP Renews Call For National Polytechnic Commission

Published

5 years ago

February 15, 2021

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has renewed call for the establishment of a National Polytechnics Commission to regulate and oversee the affairs of polytechnic education in the country.
ASUP National President, Mr Anderson Nzebe, made the call while rounding off his working visit to the Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti, yesterday.
Nzebe said the call for such commission was to guarantee the desired growth and development in the nation’s polytechnic education sector.
According to him, ASUP needs such commission as against the present system of being regulated by a body, which oversees over 600 other institutions with uncorrelated needs and policies.
Nzebe expressed the need for all stakeholders within and outside the sector to work for unity of purpose to deliver a National Polytechnic Commission that would save the sector from abject neglect and total collapse.
The ASUP President also stressed the need to strengthen industrial harmony between Trade Unions within the polytechnic sector and institutional managements as regards labour management relations.
“Such a synergy is needed in salvaging the polytechnic sector from its perennial neglect and impulsive non-uniform policies which might soon lead to a looming collapse of the sector,” he said.
Nzebe praised the institution’s Rector, Dr Dayo Oladebeye, for his show of love and efforts toward promoting the union’s agenda.
He assured the institution that the union would do its best to always work hand in glove with institutional managements in very peaceful labour-management relations.
Nzebe said the union had been working within the dictates of its constitutional provisions and the overall best interest of the polytechnic sector.
He listed the exertion of pressure on the Federal Government for the reconstitution of governing councils of federal polytechnics and campaign for increase of capital allocation to the institutions as parts of its earlier efforts.
Responding, Oladebeye appreciated the ASUP president for deeming it fit to pay a working visit to the institution.
According to him, we are happy this visit is devoid of confrontation but on how to concretise the industrial harmony between the union and the management of the polytechnic.
Oladebeye bemoaned the observed neglect which Nigerian polytechnics have suffered chiefly resulting from lack of a polytechnic commission.
“Such a commission in place will strictly address the needs of polytechnic education in comparison with its universities and colleges of education counterparts among others.
The rector promised to always do his best, as he had always done to support the unions’ agenda within the context of available resources in his institution.
The institution’s Registrar, Mrs Kehinde Ekanem, appreciated the union representatives for the honour done to the polytechnic through the visit.
She enjoined the union to always prioritise consultation, consolidation and consideration to ensure a smooth-running and rancour-free learning environment.

Education

Uniport Appoints Prof. Princewill R. Chike as 10th Vice-Chancellor

Published

1 week ago

June 8, 2026

The Tide

The Governing Council of the University of Port Harcourt has approved the appointment of Professor Princewill R. Chike as the 10th Vice-Chancellor of the University.

Prof. Chike, a former Commissioner for Health in Rivers State, will succeed Prof. Georgewill Owunari whose tenure ends on July 13, 2026.

A statement signed by the University’s Public Relations Officer, Dr. Sam Kpenu and made available to _The Tide_, said the appointment was made by the 17th Governing Council following the successful conclusion of the selection process.

“The process was conducted in strict compliance with the provisions of the Universities (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act and the University of Port Harcourt Act,” the statement read.

It added that the process involved the constitution of a Search Team and a Joint Council-Senate Selection Board. Both bodies carried out their responsibilities in accordance with extant laws and regulations governing the appointment of Vice-Chancellors in Nigerian universities.

According to the statement, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Senator Mao Ohuabunwa, congratulated Professor Chike on his appointment.

Senator Ohuabunwa expressed confidence in Prof. Chike’s ability to provide visionary leadership for the continued growth and development of the University.

Professor Princewill R. Chike is expected to formally assume office as the 10th Vice-Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt on July 13, 2026.

By: Akujobi Amadi

Education

Education commissioner Commends WAEC Conduct in Rivers ,, Vows Sanctions for Malpractice

Published

1 week ago

June 8, 2026

The Tide

The Rivers State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Peters Nwagor, has commended the orderly conduct of the ongoing 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination in the state and urged schools to sustain the standard.

Dr. Nwagor gave the commendation recently during a monitoring tour of selected secondary schools in Port Harcourt and environs where the WAEC exam is ongoing.

The commissioner, who was accompanied by directors and monitors from the Ministry of Education, said he was impressed with the peaceful atmosphere at the centres visited.

“The students conducted themselves properly and wrote their papers under conducive conditions. Invigilators and supervisors also performed their duties professionally,” he stated.

Nwagor noted that the Rivers State Government had invested heavily to ensure the smooth and credible conduct of the examination across the state

He urged candidates to reciprocate government’s effort by shunning all forms of examination malpractice and focusing on their studies.

“Government has done so much to ensure successful examinations in our schools. Students should take advantage of it by remaining focused,” the commissioner said.

While no case of malpractice was recorded in the centres inspected, Dr. Nwagor warned that any principal, teacher, invigilator, or official caught aiding malpractice would face strict sanctions in line with regulations.

He also commended school administrators, teachers, WAEC officials, and security personnel for upholding the integrity of the process. Centres visited included County Grammar School, Ikwerre/Etche; Government Comprehensive Secondary School, Borokiri; Government Secondary School, Borokiri; and Pabod Model Secondary School.

By: Akujobi Amadi

Education

RSU Law Professor Calls for Periodic Review of Nigeria’s Criminal Laws

Published

1 week ago

June 8, 2026

The Tide

A Professor of Criminal Justice and Law at the Faculty of Law, Rivers State University, Nkpolu-Oroworukwu, Port Harcourt, Prof. Clifford Anaele Nwanyanwu, has advocated for periodic review of the nation’s criminal justice administration laws to reflect current societal needs and challenges.

Prof. Nwanyanwu noted that many of the criminal justice laws in use today date back to the pre-colonial era. He questioned their efficiency in addressing modern criminal justice administration, adding that the complex nature of adjudication often allows crime to thrive.

He made the call while delivering the university’s 132nd Inaugural Lecture on Wednesday at the Senate Conference Auditorium titled: “Society as Criminal Enterprise: Unravelling a Complex Justice System.”

The erudite legal scholar clarified that the lecture was not meant to condemn the country’s justice system. Instead, he said it was intended to highlight areas that require urgent attention.

He expressed concern that criminal justice practice in Nigeria is more dysfunctional than functional, and stressed that he wants to see a system that works effectively for all citizens.

“The essence of criminal justice administration is due process, and anything contrary is not it. Plea bargains help to fast-track trial processes and reduce delays,” he stated.

However, Prof. Nwanyanwu expressed worry that the sums recovered through plea bargain arrangements are often meagre compared to the wealth looted, noting that this contradicts the purpose of the arrangement.

To strengthen the system, he recommended merit-based recruitment of judicial officers with proven character and integrity. He also called for adequate funding, infrastructure development, removal of political interference, and ethical reorientation within the judiciary.

The law professor further recommended that the state should pay compensation to citizens when security officers are found culpable for arbitrary killings, in line with the principle of vicarious liability.

In his remarks, Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Isaac Zeb-Obipi, commended the lecturer. He described the lecture as timely and relevant to addressing the nagging challenges of crime in society.

Prof. Zeb-Obipi expressed concern over the justice system’s inability to curb the rising rate of criminal activities in the state. He added that through inaugural lectures, the university continues to provide solution-based approaches to societal challenges.

Our correspondent reports that the thought-provoking lecture was attended by stakeholders in the judicial system, judges, magistrates, scholars, and members of the university community.

By: Akujobi Amadi