Education
Ndele Campus Gradually Becoming The Best -HOC
Following the recent transformation of Ndele Campus by Professor Okechuku Onuchuku-led administration, the campus will soon become the best campus and envy of all.
This was disclosed in a statement signed by the Head of Ndele Campus, Professor Isaac Ogundu and made available to The Tide during a courtesy visit paid to the Ndele Campus by the President of University Education Wives’ Association (UEWA), Mrs Chika Onuchukurecently in Ndele, Rivers State, .
Prof Ogundu observed that the era of transformation of the campus as witnessed is a tip of the iceberg and enjoined all and sundry to be part of the success story.
He lauded the Vice Chancellor for the brand new 200 mattressesand other bedding materials provided for the campus, affirming that by the time the Vice Chancellor is done with the campus, many staff and students would clamour to move over to Ndele.
The head of the campus also commended the UEWA President for having the campus at heart and for the unprecedented visit.
He described the information received as quite amplifying stressing that most male senior staff did not know that their wives were automatic members of the vibrant association, neither have they had the rare opportunity of such visit that exposed and englighened them of the objectives of the association and what they stand to benefit from being a part of it.
He expressed optimism that Mrs Onuchuku would build a lasting legacy for the association with the kind of energy that is being injected.
Earlier the President of UEWA, Mrs Chika Onuchuku, solicited for support and contribution to make the association great. She promised to rotate the venue of meeting days among the three campuses to favour and give all a sense of belonging.
Mrs Onuchuku also promised to tackle the mobility constraints faced by members of the campus so that they can attend UEWA meetings.
The visit provided avenue for questions and interactions by members of the campus gifted with the new faculty of agriculture.
They also lived up to the responsibility of being the food basket of the university with various gift presentations made to the wife of the Vice Chancellor and members of her entourage.
The items presented were freshly harvested from their farm after a guided tour of the campus.
tence on Integrated Payroll and Personnel information system (IPPIS) against University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS), which the union described as a more reliable alternative payment system.
The union urged stakeholders to prevail on the government to do the needful to save colleges of education from incessant strikes.
He said: “While the long-anticipated renegotiation of COEASU-FGN 2010 agreement holds enormous promise for mutual resolution of several challenges bedeviling the COE sub-sector, the FG has failed to accord the exercise deserved priority. Ridiculously, government has refused to constitute its own renegotiation team after acknowledging receipt of our union’s team list on her own request for over two months now.
“Government has refused to fulfill its pledge of N15b revitalisation fund. Apart from being a far cry from N478b proposed at the 2014 Presidential Needs Assessment across public COEs, the delay in its release has made nonsense of the value due to inflation.
“Poor funding of Colleges of Education and poor conditions across state-owned COEs In spite of our agitations and government’s persistent promise of redress, both Federal and State COEs remain poorly funded.
“Reign of impunity, statutory breach and administrative aberration persists; our members, especially in state COEs, continue to suffer untold hardships through non-payment of salary and salary arrears, refusal to implement statutory salary structure in full, extraneous promotion criteria, idiosyncratic policies, non/improper domestication of 65-year retirement age for workers in the COE system; multiple promotions without financial effects and repression of union activities, among others.
“Many colleges find it difficult to run smoothly due to non-release of running costs by government. State governments have abdicated their responsibility as proprietors to TETFund, as the only projects you see in the colleges are TETFund projects.”
Lana lamented that IPPIS is causing more havoc good to tertiary institutions. He noted that up till the end of March 2022, about 1,219 lecturers in COEs are experiencing problems with the payment platform.
“COEASU has demanded the adoption of UTAS, an alternative innovation of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). UTAS has been found superior to IPPIS as it has the capacity to address our payroll security concerns and peculiarities of tertiary institutions. It is therefore ludicrous that FG has remained adamant on retaining IPPIS despite its injurious effects.
He said after extensive deliberations on the outcome of referendum conducted across chapters of the union, NEC resolved to issue government a 21-day ultimatum to do the needful within the period.
Mobilisation Coordinator of Education Rights Campaign, Michael Lenin, said:
“The blame for these strike actions that have grounded tertiary education must be placed at the doorstep of the government. It is quite unprecedented that all the major unions in the tertiary education sector will be on strike; however, it showed the level of damage the negligence of successive governments have done to the sector through chronic under-funding.
“This is the time for Nigerian students to rise and demand that all the demands of striking workers must be met and the sector must be repositioned from the current horrific state it is in.”
But the Federal Government has said that it is in consultation with COEASU and has held series of meetings with the union with a view to resolving the issues.
By: Susan Serekara-Nwikhana
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.