Education
VC Tasks Students On High Moral Standards
Vice Chancellor of the Rivers State University, Prof Nlerum Okogbule, has charged students of the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations Department of the university on high decorum that would command the needed respect as well as make them outstanding anywhere they find themselves.
Okogbule said this in his address as the special guest of honor at the one, day programme to commemorate the world Public Relations Day organised by the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations in Rivers State.
The Vice Chancellor, who was represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academics, Valentine Pepple said there was need to continue to educate the students for effective performance in future.
“The essence of organising the programme is to continue to educate people as many at time lots of people do not understand what we mean by Public Relations and we know that Public Relations department play a key role in any organisation.
“Public Relations can either promote or destroy, so harnessing the power of Public Relations is very important as such we are mostly encouraging our students to be serious, being a very important department in every organisation.
The Head Corporate Communication, Indorama Eleme Petro chemical, Dr . Jossy Nwokocha, in his keynote address, said the power of public relations is the panacea of effective PR of a particular company.
“You can see that PR is not just about your company, PR is all about humanity, how to find solutions to the problems of humanity.
“The world Public Relations day, reminds PR practitioners to understand the power of Public Relations and to properly utilise it,” Dr Nwokocha added.
Earlier, the chairman of NIPR in Rivers State and the former Commissioner of Information and communications, Paulinus Nsirim said the association under his watch will ensure those” who have the what it takes will be allowed to practice public relations in the state.
“We are going to ensure that only those, who have this requisite certification practice Public Relations because it is in the interest of the organisation to have experts.
“You cannot have a carpenter becoming a medical doctor. You also cannot have a doctor trying to be an engineer. These are professions, so we must ensure in this country and in this state that things go the right way,” Nsirim added.
The Tide source reports that the theme of the this year’s NIPR celebration is, “Harnessing the Power of Public Relations”.
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.