Education
RSU Management Insists On ‘No Fees, No Exam’ Policy
Management of the Rivers State University, Nkpolu Worukor in Port Harcourt has insisted on their ‘No Fees, No Examination drive,’ saying that there is no going back as this has posed a lot of challenge and stress to the school.
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Nlerum Okogbule, stated this at a news briefing in Port Harcourt last Monday, ahead of the university’s 34th convocation held from December 8, 2022 to December 10, 2022.
Prof. Okogbule said while it was a difficult decision to arrive at, the policy was already yielding positive fruits to the delight of the management, stressing that it has drastically reduced the stress of going back to compute past years’ results.
He said, “It is necessary to mention here that the policy of no school fees, no examination has paid off handsomely. We were in a very sad situation where some students in level 300 had not paid fees at all, and so did not have matriculation numbers.
“They were writing their names on sheets of paper during examinations. That is clearly non-acceptable to us as a university. It is on the strength of that we insisted that students have to pay their fees to have their matriculation numbers,” he said.
The VC however said management had extended the window to enable more students pay their school fees before the policy was enforced.
According to Okogbule, “From this (no fees, no exam) exercise, over 3000 who would otherwise not have paid their fees, have done so now.
“Three local government areas eventually came to the rescue of some of their students, particularly final year students. We have as agreed scheduled special examinations for only those who paid their fees later. That examinations were held from Monday December 12, 2022. So, the policy still stands.”
He said the university had been creditably performing its main task of producing high level manpower to meet the aspirations of the people of the Niger Delta, and respond to the peculiar environmental challenges of the region and Nigeria as a whole.
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.