Education
VC Unveils New Book In PH
The Vice Chancellor of Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RSUST), Nkpolu-Oroworukwo, Port Harcourt, Prof Barineme Fakae, led a team of literary giants in Rivers State last Saturday to unveil a new book titled Our Stories.
Represented at the event by Registrar of the University, Dr Daba Odeimabo, the Vice Chancellor who unveiled the book with the sum of One hundred thousand naira (N100,000.00) described the author of the new book, Chief Adi Wali, as a friend of the university and a great writer with skills.
Chairman, Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Rivers State branch, Mr Obinna Nwodim, who was also chairman of the event decried the systematic drop in reading culture, saying that such a situation which spelts doom for any society had taken literature to the back seat in the scheme of things in Nigeria.
Remarking that the ugly situation had given ANA great concern, Mr Nwodim implored Nigerians to reactivate their reading culture by reading at least one book in one month and noted that one major way to encourage writers was by buying and reading their works .
He said he had taken time to read the new book, Our stories, and remarked that the gathering was to celebrate a great work by a creative writer and journalist.
The book reviewer, Dr Bobo Agava, described the book as a collection of short stories with its setting in an imaginary Ikwerre land with messages on inordinate acquisition of land and its dangerous consequencies, stressing that “greed is destructive.”
Dr Agava, a Deputy Registrar and Public Relations Officer of Rivers State Polytechnic, Bori, said Chief Wali applied story writing device as most great African writers.
Reading Our stories’ is not only enjoyable, but also educative, because the issues and ideas couched in the stories are salient with several lessons about life,” Agava said.
In his address titled ‘Challenges and Hope for Young African Writers, the author identified publishers, attitude as an impediment to the growth of young writers and called for publishers’ encouragement to young writers.
According to Chief Wali, most publishers still believe in the old names and treat younger writers as people who do not have much to offer even before they care to has a look at your script.
He recommended hard work, dedication and sincere commitment based on patience to younger writers as strategies to succeed in the challenges ahead stressing that young African writers had a chance.
The author also called on managers of educational curriculum to make literature compulsory for the purpose of engendering learning and reading habit in our children through school system.
Our stories, is a 141 page book made up of four parts; Tragedy of land dispute, Ibeneme and Spirits, Eze Okogbule Amarachi Meets smit and the last part is a collection of Proverbs. No price was fix yet on the book.
Chris Oluoh
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.