Rivers
Don Sues For Leadership Assessment Centre In IAUE
A Professor of Educational Management and Leadership in Ignatius Ajuru University of Education (IAUE), Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Professor Veronica Emem Okogbaa, has recommended the building of a Leadership Assessment Centre (LAC) in the University.
She made the recommendation recently while delivering the 67th inaugural lecture of the institution at the university’s auditorium.
Speaking on the topic, “Leadership in Education”, the 67th Inaugural Lecturer stated that if built, the Centre will provide opportunities for the assessment of an individual’s leadership capacity based on set criteria and customised procedures.
She further stated that the Centre will develop and offer general and specialised leadership training and a support system for the development of leaders.
Okogbaa called on organisers of seminars, workshops and conferences to desist from presenting certificates of participation to participants who actually do not partake but wander in and out of the venues without actually devoting time to be involved in the activities lined up for capacity building and development.
While calling for more funding for the system because educational leaders cannot function without adequate funds at their disposal, she enjoined Government and Proprietors at all levels not to simply support appointing teachers with long years of experience into school leadership positions.
Educational leaders, according to her, “should have a specific training for their roles based on which appointments should be made”.
The former Dean of Students Affairs Unit urged the educational leadership to be passionate, intentional and mindful of their actions as they play their roles each day, stressing that their positive examples can inspire, persuade and influence subordinates to perform tasks more willingly to assure goal attainment.
Professor Okogbaa also affirmed that professional development should be seen as a must for all levels of staff, the leader inclusive, noting that when everyone’s capacity is built, confidence level will increase and resourcefulness will be the order of the day to enhance social attainment.
The University Don stated that effective school leadership must place emphasis on clarifying educational goals and in engaging in corporate collaboration and comprehensive management to achieve them.
She called on stakeholders to join in the clarification of the statement of their goals and also agree on the strategies to achieve them for effectiveness.
School-based strategized leadership, she explained, is essential for effective goal attention and that all hands must be on deck to actualize this.
She highlighted the need to promote school improvement with the necessary steps outlined to harmonize the sometimes differing expectations of teachers, students, boards and parents.
School goals and plans, she hinted, are for school effectiveness and to firmly direct all efforts towards meeting current and anticipated needs of all.
While calling on leaders to manage educational institutions optimally, she noted that the goals and paths to goals should serve as the basis for work in the whole school progress and development.
The educational leader, she also suggested, “should take the reins as it is expected, be intentional and mindful to lead the system to success”.
Speaking, the Acting Vice Chancellor of IAUE, Professor Okechuku Onuchuku, lauded the 67th Inaugural Lecturer for professing what she has been doing over the years that led to her elevation to the rank of a Professor.
While commending her for doing the needful, he agreed that leaders must possess skills or specialised abilities required for their roles in addition to taking training seriously.
Professor Onuchuku in substantiating the need for educational leadership to have special skills, training and knowledge as recommended by the inaugural lecturer, explained how the University’s Management recently looked at the number of candidates that subscribed to the institution before deciding on the cut off Mark for the University.
He added that if the University Management did not have the data or requisite information, it would have been difficult to effectively arrive at the decision that they took regarding the matter.
He praised her for highlighting the importance of specialised skills and trainings for educational leaders.
In a vote of thanks, Professor Reginah Nchelem Azuwena expressed gratitude to all attendees who graced the occasion and listened patiently till the end of the lecture.
She expressed optimism that the recommendations proffered by the 67th Inaugural Lecturer would be implemented.
Sogbeba Dokubo
Continue Reading
As part of activities marking 16 Days of Activism, A Non-Governmental Organizatio (NGO), OLEGH, has organised a one-day awareness creation workshop on digital violence against women and girls, for civil society and media groups in Rivers State.
OLEGH’s Executive Director, Henry Eferebo, said the programme was intended to draw attention to the theme for the 2025 16 Days of Activism tagged, “Unite To End Digital Violence against all Women and Girls.”
Eferebo said the event is an annual global campaign that focuses on violence against women, affords persons and groups all over the world the opportunity to embark on activities aimed at eliminating all forms of women and gender abuse.
“As individuals, we don’t pay attention to the things we see on the social media. We pay less attention to the abuse on the internet. Today, you can abuse a woman or a man physically, emotionally and otherwise, and go scot-free”, he noted.
According to him, women and girls have suffered the most from online violence and cyber-bullying, particularly on platforms such as TikTok, making them ready victims online and offline.
“So, in line with the United Nations principle on 16 Days of Activism and this year’s theme, there is a need for OLEGH Center to create awareness on issues resulting from the online abuse of women and girls.
“We decided to bring in a resource person who will tell us how to avoid being abused online”, he said.
He urged participants at the event to put hands together, rise up and speak against digital violence online.
The NGO’s arrow head, also explained that OLEGH was working towards creating an online help-desk for victims of online abuse and digital violence.
He urged participants to improve their security awareness while online, and adopt security protocols that would protect them in the digital space.
The Resource Person, Jacob Iniodu, in a paper titled, “Understanding Digital Abuse within the 16 Days of Activism”, listed forms of online violence to include, cyber-bullying, dozing, cyber-stalking, and invasion of privacy.
By: King Onunwor
Armslent Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO), in Rivers State, has distributed Christmas gifts worth over N5million to aged mothers, orphans and less privileged persons in Belema, Bundu Ama (Community) in Port Harcourt Local Government Area (PHALGA).
The Foundation also gave cash gifts of N150,000 to the Community.
Presenting the gift items, comprising 5 bags of rice,10 Cartons of indomie noodles,10 Gallons of groundnut oil, 3 bags of salt and cartons of maggie cubes, to Chairman of the Community, David Oba, and the community leaders, the founder of Armslent Foundation, Comrade Richard Boma Briggs, said the foundation decided to show love and togetherness to the community by providing the gifts.
He noted that the provision was part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to the community aimed at alleviating poverty and create a sense of belonging as Christian faithfuls celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.
Briggs described Bundu Ama as one of its pillars in partnership, stressing that the foundation was inspired by the spirit of love to impact and rejoice with the residents of the community.
“The foundation was moved by the spirit of Christmas to give these gifts and rejoice with the people of community”, Briggs said.
Accompanied by the Managing Director of the Foundation, Richard Osigbo, and other top Executive Members, Briggs called on the leaders of the community to always pray for the foundation, promising that in 2026, it would embark on a tangible project at UPE Modern Primary School Waterfront, Bundu Ama.
Receiving the items, Chairman of Bundu Ama, David Oba, thanked the foundation for empowering the less privileged persons, assisting physically challenged persons, and aged mothers in the past.
“The foundation had done a lot for this community and today we are witnessing these gift items for the Christmas celebration”,he emphasised.
He called on the leaders of the community, women group, youths and residents to emulate the humanitarian gestures of the foundation and pleaded that they also borrow a leaf from the gesture,in order to also give to society whenever they can.
Earlier the leaders of Belema Bundu Ama, led by Oba, former Chairman, Benneth Kalio, and Secretary, Promise Mangibo, presented an Award of Excellence to the Founder of the Foundation for his Humanitarian and selfless service to the community.
Highlight of the event was the offering of a special prayer to the management of the foundation by aged mothers, youths and leadership of the community.
By: Chinedu Wosu
The Obolo Youth Coalition, Rivers State Chapter, has condemned the recent spate of killings in Andoni Local Government Area, describing the renewed insecurity as alarming and constituting a threat to peace and stability in the area.
In a statement signed by its Chairman, Comr. Jonathan J. Eyina, the group expressed deep concern over what it described as brutal and senseless acts of violence, while extending condolences to the families of the victims.
The coalition said the resurgence of insecurity in Andoni has continued to undermine communal harmony and called for urgent steps to halt the trend before it escalates further.
It appealed to youths in the area to shun violence and embrace peace, stressing the need for tolerance, mutual respect and collective responsibility in safeguarding the community.
According to the group, restoring peace in Andoni requires a coordinated approach involving government, security agencies, community leaders and residents to identify and address the root causes of insecurity.
It noted that increased security presence, improved intelligence gathering, and sustained community engagement are critical to preventing further violence, adding that underlying social and economic challenges must also be addressed.
The coalition called on the Andoni Local Government Chairman, Hon. Lucky Promise-Otua, the Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Joseph Fubara, and the Commissioner of Police, CP Olugbenga Adepoju Adewole, to take decisive actions to restore security.
It further demanded that those responsible for the killings be apprehended and prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others.
By: King Onunwor