Education
Design Systems To Better Lives -Zeb-Obipi
A Professor of Management in the Rivers State University,Nkpolu-Oroworukwo, Isaac Zeb-Obipi, has called on Nigerian leaders to put in place structures and sustainable institutions that would improve on the living standard of the people and impact positively on their well-being .
Zeb-Obipi made this call while presenting his lecture at the 79th Inaugural Lecture series of the university titled: ‘People Management Tripod And Worker Productivity: The Solute; Solvent And Solution’; held last Wednesday at the university’s auditorium in Port Harcourt.
The erudite professor of Management Sciences opined that putting such structures in place would go a long way to solve problems of organisational society, thereby leading to growth and national development.
“In trying to solve organisational problems in our society, leaders in positions of power must design systems that would better the lives of many people in the society. We should explore disciplines that deal with managing people, if you do so, you are likely to solve society problems.”
He demanded that a new department be created in the Faculty of Management that would be dedicated to the management of people, studies that deal with management, such as Industrial Relations (IR), Human Resource Management (HRM), Organisational Behaviour (OB), pointing out that these are disciplines that deal with how to get the best out of people in an organisation.
The professor added that the department, if created would be called, ‘Human Resource Management And Industrial Relations,’ remarking that presently, this department is in a larger department thereby making concentration on research and application in this area, difficult.
He emphasised that for there to be higher productivity, Nigerian leaders must imbibe the culture of respect, love, and care towards their subordinates if they want to be successful in their businesses and live happily in life.
“Worker productivity is often low than satisfactory levels due to unaligned ability-job fit, negative work attitude and toxic work environment, but a solvable problem if man learn to show love towards he/her subordinates in their place of work (the solute),” remarking that there were external and internal factors impeding the business environment.
He maintained that a successful leader is one who respects, values, cares and empowers his subordinates to succeed, noting that such a leader would have the ability to exert influence on the subordinates and would succeed in all he puts his hands into.
“The solution lies in the better management of people using the people management tripod disciplines of OB, HRM; and IR (the solvents),” stressing that “if they apply an appropriate OB technique, behavioural modification or HRM technique or IR technique, which are worker productivity, they would have a solvent in their hands to dissolve the solute, then the result is solution.”
Zeb-Obipi emphasised further that leaders should play their required roles to oversee the work of others, be the people manager, so as to develop the society, thereby giving the people of Nigeria a better standard of living noting that they must understand as well as accept workers as human beings.
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.