Education
Education, Best Tool To Liberate Peasant Workers – Don
A Lecturer in the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education (IAUE), Professor Alafuro Epelle, has said that education of workers remained a veritable tool to liberate the peasantised and annihilated workers in the Nigerian state.
Epelle stated this during the 24th Inaugural Lecture of the institution at the university’s main campus, Rumuolumeni, Port Harcourt, last Thursday.
Delivering his lecture titled ‘Between Father, Son and Ghost; Who Is Accentuating the Payment of Wages of Sin To Nigerian Workers?, Epelle noted with dismay the pauperised and peasantised state of the Nigerian workers despite their invaluable contributions to the building of the nation’s economy, maintaining that such was a fallout from the low level state of education of the workforce.
Epelle noted that a highly educated workforce will not only understand the place of the working class in history and their disadvantaged position vis-a-vis the ruling propertied class, but will also understand the virtue of conscientisation and effective mobilisation for a common purpose.
In his words: “The best tool that Nigerian Workers can leverage on to break out of the hamstring imposed on them by the state is education. It is only through education that they can withstand and overcome some of the measures(legislations and divisive tendencies) employed by the Nigerian state to peasantise and annihilate them”.
Epelle, who is a social and political scientist revealed that the lecture was borne out of the quest on why Nigerian Workers and their unions remained pauperized and perpetually miserable inspite of their efforts towards the growth of the country’s bourgeoning economy, adding that it would further expose the constellation of forces and factors arrayed against them and responsible for their despondent conditions.
“I intend to use the opportunity of this lecture to express my resolute commitment to the cause of the Nigerian labour movement- being a public servant and hence, a participant observer in the struggle for improved working condition for the country’s workforce. This lecture draws it’s impetus from my concern for the plight of the Nigerian worker”, he said.
The social scientist averred that the most basic need of a man is how to feed himself and this he must achieve through work, regretting however, that rather than the Nigerian Worker being paid adequately for his work, he has practically received little in return, a situation which he said “has resulted in grinding poverty, frustration, dejection and dissillusionment on the faces of many Nigerian Workers dovetailing in drunkenness, trauma, hypertension and the ubiquitous ‘Gone-too-soon’ obituary posters littering most street corners in the country” .
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.