News
Nigerian Out-Of-School Children Hit 18.5m
Nigeria has 18.5million out-of-school children (OSC), the highest number in the world, and out of the figure, 10million are girls, the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) has said.
The Chief of UNICEF Field Office in Kano, Rahama Farah, stated this at a media dialogue on ‘Girls’ Education under the Girls’ Education Project 3, GEP 3’, funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), and implemented by UNICEF.
“For those lucky to be in school, their condition is also not enviable given the situation of public schools in the country. Only recently, the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), said 50per cent of schools in Nigeria lack basic furniture”Farah said.
The Executive Secretary of the commission, Hamid Bobboyi, said this in Abuja at a one-day civil society organisations’ CSO-Legislative Roundtable Meeting where some National and State Houses of Assembly members were present.
According to him, emerging constraints in basic education delivery in the country may necessitate an increase in the consolidated revenue funds from the current two per cent to four per cent.
He buttressed his position for an increase in funding on the security challenges bedevilling the country, insisting that rising student population also poses urgent need for teaching facilities.
Also speaking, the Chairman of Senate Committee on Basic Education, represented by Senator Frank Ibezim, decried the failure of State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs), to sustain some UBEC-initiated projects such as classrooms and libraries earlier introduced by the commission in all constituencies in the country.
While commending UBEC over the construction of classrooms in schools across the country, he lamented the poor maintenance culture, noting that there is no school in the country that does not have a dilapidated block.
A representative of MacArthur Foundation, Mr Dayo Olaoye, called on stakeholders to review the impact of the country’s annual budget on education, stressing that it was not enough that the country is increasing its budget to the sector.
“As we think about reforms, let us think beyond buildings that have been delivered, let us start thinking about how many children have been brought to school,” he said.
“If classrooms are dilapidated, and there are not enough furniture, what about teachers and the quality of the ones available? The Registrar, Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), Prof. Josiah Ajiboye, said there are over 300,000 unqualified teachers in the system.
“Education is very important to be left in the hands of quacks and that is why at TRCN, we are stepping up efforts at ridding the system of unqualified hands. We implore teachers and their employers to take advantage of the various windows TRCN is providing to improve the quality of teachers in the country so as to get better results from our education system,” he said.
For the General Secretary of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Dr Mike Ene, there is need for better funding of the education sector.
He noted that in many states, teachers are overwhelmed by the number of pupils and students they handle.
“In so many states, there is inadequacy of teachers. Some states have not recruited teachers in the last 10 years and yearly, teachers are leaving the system through retirement, resignation or even death. Worse hit by poor staffing are schools in the rural areas. Such schools are called hard-to-staff schools.”
It is in that regard that the welfare packages announced by the Federal Government are very much necessary,” he said.
Also speaking on the issue, the National President of the National Association of Parent-Teacher Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN), Alhaji Haruna Danjuma, decried the manner some state governments are implementing the Basic Education Policy of the government whereby pupils and students in primary and junior secondary schools are to enjoy free education and are given textbooks in some core subjects.
“Some states are not doing well in that respect. They have abandoned the programme. They are not funding education as it ought to be funded. Even counterpart funds that some states should put down to complement the funds from UBEC are not provided. Some states have even misused UBEC funds and are suspended from getting further grants.
“We are talking now about our tertiary institutions that are grounded by workers’ strikes, the basic education level, which is the foundation, is not faring better too. Something urgent must be done to redress the situation before the sector collapses finally,” he noted.
News
Mba Seeks Closer Synergy To Check Road Accidents
Worried over the high rate of accidents on Nigerian roads, resulting in the death of hundreds of thousands of people, the Governor of Enugu State, Barr Peter Mbah, has called for closer synergy and cooperation among security agencies to check the ugly trend and ensure safety on all the roads within the country.
Governor Mbah, made the call in an address at the Graduation Ceremony of Senior Course 2 of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Command and Staff College, Udi near Enugu.
Represented by the state Commissioner for Information, Chief Aka Eze Aka, governor Mbah noted that closer security and intelligence sharing on incidents on roads within the country by various security formations and agencies both military and para-military would lead to greater security and safety of lives and property on roads.
He stated that the state government had keyed into the FRSC vision of reduction in road crashes and fatalities, adding that it had equipped the state traffic officers with the same set targets.
“As an administration, we are making all efforts to fix and improve on all roads and road infrastructure within the state; while we are calling on the Federal Government to do the same.
“Our partnership with the FRSC for training and retraining of our road traffic officers will continue and be strengthened so that as a state it will also build its own capacity to deal with road traffic issues and challenges,” he said.
Governor Mbah, however, congratulated the graduating participants of the course, while commending the FRSC management for being in the forefront of raising the standard and quality of its staff.
According to him, “my administration will continue to partner with the FRSC and strengthen existing engagements of mutual benefits”.
Earlier, the FRSC Corps Marshal, Dauda Biu, said that the event was significant to the Corps as it marked its commitment to continuously improve its educational and operational standard and capacity.
Biu, represented by the Deputy Corps Marshal (DCM) Bisi Kazeem, who is in-charge of FRSC Training, said that the Corps was building resiliency and increasing its service delivery capacity by equipping its officers with quality and international standard training.
By: Canice Amadi Enugu
News
PDP Opobo/Nkoro Hails Fubara On Peace, Projects
Stakeholders of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Opobo/ Nkoro Local Government Area of Rivers State have commended the state Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara for his disposition that has fostered peace in the State.
Rising from an expanded stakeholders meeting last Saturday in Opobo Town, the body in an eight-point communique signed by its Chairman, Hon. Benneth Daminabo, Chairman of Council, Rt. Hon. Enyiada Cookey-Gam and LG party Chairman, Warisenibo Godwin Pepple commended the governor for linking Opobo/Nkoro LGA to the national grid.
In addition, it lauded the effort of the governor in pursuing the 50.15 kilometre Dual Carriage Ring Road, Elelenwo internal road, Aleto-Ebubu-Eteo Road in Eleme and Andoni Road projects.
Despite the distractions, the stakeholders said they were impressed that the governor had equally done projects in health-the unveiling of Prof. Kelsey Harrison Hospital, Agric projects at Tai and Oyigbo and improving welfare of civil servants.
In their words, “members reaffirmed their unalloyed loyalty and implicit confidence in his administration.”
Condemning the unfriendly and discourteous utterances of Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and Tony Okocha in different fora in the State, the forum urged the duo to desist from such action in order not to heat up the polity.
The forum pledged to stand by the governor through, “thick and thin”, the stakeholders acknowledged the contributions of women, who through prayers for the government has impacted positively in the direction and posture of the governor.
Finally, the forum unanimously expressed gratitude to the Simplified Movement and other bodies that have thrown their weight behind the governor to ensure that the administration is stable and successful.
By: Kevin Nengia
News
‘Rivers People Are Now Breathing Fresh Air Under Fubara’
Aformer Caretaker Committee Chairman of Abua/Odual Local Government Council of Rivers State, Hon Elamo Arogu, says under Governor Siminalayi Fubara, the people of the State are now breathing fresh air.
Hon Arogu said Governor Fubara has given Rivers people hope, considering the impactful and people-oriented projects being carried out by his administration.
The former CTC chairman made the assertion during the Simplified Movement’s thanksgiving service and rally held in honour of Rivers State chief executive last Friday in Abua .
Arogu said under Governor Fubara, the Abua/Odual people have the confidence that the dividends of democracy will definitely get to them.
He noted that the Governor has the strong will to change the narrative in Rivers State, being the reason he is receiving massive support across the State.
“The people of Abua/Odual are strongly behind him. Our doors ate open for everyone because there is government in place to attend to the needs of the people. I believe that he will develop Abua/Odual and other Rivers council areas, hence, the massive support. This government is business- oriented and we are ready to encourage him succeed and invest in our land. The issue of a bank; road networks and other necessities of life bordering on development as demanded by the people will be considered by Governor Fubara”, he said.
He called on the opposition to team up with Governor Fubara to build a stronger, united and viable Rivers State.
He maintained that ward nine under his leadership is Simplified.
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