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RSG, UBEC Procure Vehicles, Motorcycles To Boost Education
As part of concerted efforts to ensure qualitative education system in the state, the Federal Government through the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and the Rivers State Government have procured vehicles, motorcycles, ICT equipment to boast basic education in the state.
The UBEC procured 17 motorcycles and one Toyota Hummer bus, while the state government bought two Hilux pick up vans to compliment the efforts of the Federal Government.
Our correspondent reports that the flag-off of the equipment at the River State Universal Basic Education Board (RSUBEB) headquarters in Port Harcourt, last Wednesday, was to herald the full implementation of quality assurance policies and programmes to advance the development of basic education as well as ensure daily supervision and monitoring of schools in the state.
Speaking at the commissioning of the equipment at RSUBEB Office, the Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Abuja, Dr Hamad Boboyi, said the equipment were procured from the 2 per cent portion of UBEC Consolidated Funds as approved for the state Universal Basic Education Board to boost its quality assurance programme in line with the UBEC policies.
Represented on the occasion by the state UBEB Coordinator, Mr Isaac Ichenwo, said the items commissioned would help the board monitor schools in the rural areas, especially those in the coastal areas.
He commended the efforts of teachers in the state for their dexterity in the discharge of their duties, adding that the SUBEB was the first among other states in the country to adopt the quality assurance policy of the commission.
“Our teachers are doing well here, especially in the quality assurance area as schools in the state can be accessed from anywhere.
“The girl and boy child at the rural areas need to be accessed, while our teachers must be supervised to see how they are doing their duties in order to justify their salary”, he stated.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Rivers State Universal Basic Education Board (RSUBEB), Ven Fyneface Ndubuisi Akah, commended the Federal Government and state government for the value attached to the monitoring and evaluation policy of the board through the release of funds for the procurement of the various equipment.
Akah noted that the world over, quality assurance has become the key for the development of education, adding that everybody must cue into the concept in order to know how to do things differently.
He expressed happiness with the Federal Government support through the UBEC and that of the state government in complimenting the efforts of the Federal Government in ensuring that the quality assurance programme of the board works effectively.
“The essence of quality assurance is for us to show our quality content. So, we need men and women who will devote their time for this great task. So, staff of Quality Assurance Department and those for monitoring and supervision of our schools must rise up to this task”, he stated.
Earlier in his opening remarks, the RSUBEB Director in charge of Quality Assurance, Mr Ibama Owukio, had said the quality assurance policy has ensured the sustained inspection and supervision of schools, adding that quality assurance unearths the strength and weakness of schools.
He averred that quality assurance was the heartbeat of the policy, adding that whatever provision made must be thoroughly monitored to yield the expected results.
The Nigeria Immigration Service has officially ended passport production at multiple centres, transitioning to a single, centralised system for the first time in 62 years.
Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, disclosed this yesterday while inspecting Nigeria’s new Centralised Passport Personalisation Centre at the NIS Headquarters in Abuja.
He stated that since the establishment of NIS in 1963, Nigeria had never operated a central passport production centre, until now, marking a major reform milestone.
“The project is 100 per cent ready. Nigeria can now be more productive and efficient in delivering passport services,” Tunji-Ojo said.
He explained that old machines could only produce 250 to 300 passports daily, but the new system had a capacity of 4,500 to 5,000 passports every day.
“With this, NIS can now meet daily demands within just four to five hours of operation,” he added, describing it as a game-changer for passport processing in Nigeria.
“We promised two-week delivery, and we’re now pushing for one week.
“Automation and optimisation are crucial for keeping this promise to Nigerians,” the minister said.
He noted that centralisation, in line with global standards, would improve uniformity and enhance the overall integrity of Nigerian travel documents worldwide.
Tunji-Ojo described the development as a step toward bringing services closer to Nigerians while driving a culture of efficiency and total passport system reform.
He said the centralised production system aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s reform agenda, boosting NIS capacity and changing the narrative for better service delivery.
The Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) has disbursed N2.225 trillion as federation revenue for the month of August 2025, the highest ever allocation to the three tiers of government and other statutory recipients.
This marks the second consecutive month that FAAC disbursements have crossed the N2 trillion mark.
The revenue, shared at the August 2025 FAAC meeting in Abuja, was buoyed by increases in oil and gas royalty, value-added tax (VAT), and common external tariff (CET) levies, according to a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting.
Out of the N2.225 trillion total distributable revenue, FAAC said N1,478.593 trillion came from statutory revenue, N672.903 billion from VAT, N32.338 billion from the Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL), and N41.284 billion from Exchange Difference.
The communiqué revealed that gross federation revenue for the month stood at N3.635 trillion. From this amount, N124.839 billion was deducted as cost of collection, while N1,285.845 trillion was set aside for transfers, interventions, refunds, and savings.
From the statutory revenue of N1.478 trillion, the Federal Government received N684.462 billion, State Governments received N347.168 billion, and Local Government Councils received N267.652 billion. A further N179.311 billion (13 per cent of mineral revenue) went to oil-producing states as derivation revenue.
From the distributable VAT revenue of N672.903 billion, the Federal Government received N100.935 billion, the states received N336.452 billion, while the local governments got N235.516 billion.
Of the N32.338 billion shared from EMTL, the Federal Government received N4.851 billion, the States received N16.169 billion, and the Local Governments received N11.318 billion.
From the N41.284 billion exchange difference, the Federal Government received N19.799 billion, the states received N10.042 billion, and the local governments received N7.742 billion, while N3.701 billion (13 per cent of mineral revenue) was shared to the oil-producing states as derivation.
The Governing Council of Kenule Beeson Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic, Bori, has decried the inadequate power supply and poor state of infrastructural facilities and equipment at the institution.
The Council also appealed to the government, including Non-Governmental Organisations, agencies, as well as well-meaning Rivers people to intervene to restore and sustain the laudable gesture, dreams and aspirations of the founding fathers of the polytechnic.
The Chairman of the newly inaugurated Council, Professor Friday B. Sigalo, made this appeal during a tour of facilities at the Polytechnic, recently.
Accompanied by members of the team, Prof Sigalo emphasised the position of technology, technical and vocational education in sustainable development.
He noted that with the prospects on ground, and the programmes and activities undertaken in the polytechnic, there is no doubt that the institution would add values to the educational system in our society and foster the desired development, if the existing challenges are jointly tackled.
This was contained in a statement signed by Deputy Registrar, Public Relations, Kenpoly, Innocent Ogbonda-Nwanwu, and made available to The Tide in Port Harcourt.
The chairman who restated the intention of his team of technocrats to ensure that KenPoly enjoys desirable face-lift, said the Council would deliver on its core mandates, accordingly.
Earlier, the Rector, KenPoly Engr. Dr. Ledum S. Gwarah, commended the appointment of Professor Friday B. Sigalo as Chairman of the KenPoly Governing Council.
He described him and his team as seasoned technocrats and expressed confidence in their ability to succeed.
The Rector pledged the management’s support to the Council to ensure that KenPoly resumes its rightful place in the comity of polytechnics in the country.
Facilities visited by the Governing Council include KenPoly workshops, laboratories, skills acquisition centre, library, hostels and medical centre.
Chinedu Wosu
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