Tuesday 25 July 2017

Educationist advocates for the incorperation of Entreprenuerial studies in school curricula



Mr Usman Habib, an educationist, has advocated the inclusion of entrepreneurial studies in all schools curricula to enable students acquire skills early in life to sustain them in future. 

Habib told  Newsmen in Awka on Tuesday that the country’s schools curricula should compete favorable with those of advanced countries to a large extent.

“Entrepreneurial studies are the right step to save our children from the confusions that becloud them after they have graduated from school. “Our school curriculum is very much acceptable. “What is needed is adding money making venture skills from primary to tertiary level so that after graduating, they will not all depend on white collar jobs for survival. 

“If taken serious, our children will produce things great for the nation and by extension relieve government the onerous task of providing jobs for the always graduating teeming youths of the nation,’’ he said. He called on authorities concerned to employ the best hands while inculcating morality into the mindset of the children. 

“Putting round pegs in round holes should be our watch word when employing teachers to teach so that only those that have the passion of bringing the best out of the children will be employed.


“Pay them well as in the case in Malaysia where teachers make the children to imbibe the spirit of right moral upbringing from early stages of their lives because they are well paid, ‘’ he said.



Friday 21 July 2017

Publice office holders should send their children to schools in Nigeria

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He said; Even though views of people like us might not be popular among the powers that be because we say the truth and act the truth, we won’t stop telling them what they do not like to hear and one of such is that the only way to improve the standard of education in the country is for children of holders of public office to experience what children of ordinary Nigerians are experiencing in schools in the country.



Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose has said that all his children are products of Nigerian Universities, urging public office holders to endeavour to send their children to schools in the country.

“During my first tenure as governor, I took my son from a private school and enrolled him in SUBEB Model Primary School in Ado Ekiti. “Today again, I am here to witness the graduation of my son and I make bold to say here that none of my children attended tertiary institution outside Nigeria.


Governor Fayose, who was at Covenant University, Ota in Ogun State to witness the graduation ceremony of one of his sons, Ayorogbayimika Fayose, told journalists that there was no reason children of public office holders should study in universities outside Nigeria, except in cases where courses interested in were not offered in Nigerian universities.

According to the governor’s Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, Governor Fayose said; “We talk and do. Whatever we say is what we practice. Apart from the fact that none of children attended schools abroad, I have never travelled out of the country for Medicare.

Wednesday 19 July 2017

Cheating techniques by supervisors during school exams exposed!



The Executive Secretary, Benue State Examination Board, Mr Alexander Asen, has exposed some clever techniques devised by some supervisors in  aiding cheating by some students during certificate examinations in the state. 

Asen told Newsmen on Wednesday in Makurdi that some of the techniques included the use of non verbal communication skills and loud speakers where answers to questions are read out. 

He said the use of body gestures was the most commonly used by supervisors to provide answers to questions. “I noticed this when I paid a surprise visit to one remote school in one part of the state, where I saw an invigilator using his fingers to communicate answers to students. 

“He was raising his fingers intermittently, sometimes he would raise one, yet at other times, three or four while he occasionally jumped. “I asked the principal if the man was okay, but he simply laughed it off. 

“In my curiosity to find out what was happening, I asked a student, who didn’t know me what was the problem with the fellow in the examination hall and he told me with excitement that “today’s exam was good”. 

“Each time the man raised his finger up, the answer to the question was A, two fingers meant B, while three, four and five fingers up represented C, D and E respectively”.

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29 year old school cashier absconds with employer's money




For allegedly stealing his employer’s N340,000, a 29-year-old cashier, Olawunmi Eze, on Wednesday appeared before an Ota Magistrates’ Court in Ogun. 

Eze, who lives at No. 35, Akinolu St., Ota, is facing a charge of stealing.

The accused, according to Police Prosecutor Chudu Gbesi,  committed the offence on June 15 at 12.30p.m. at Jolabel International School, Temidire, Ota. Gbesi said the accused, the school’s cashier, stole N340,000 belonging to his employer, Kazeem Jolayemi. 

The offence contravened Section 390(1), (6) of the Criminal Code, Laws of Ogun, 2006. The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge. 

The Senior Magistrate, Mr. S. O. Banjo, in his ruling, granted bail to the accused in the sum of N150,000 with two sureties in like sum. He said the sureties must reside within the court’s jurisdiction and also show evidence of tax payment to Ogun Government. 


The case was adjourned until Aug. 27 for hearing.




Monday 17 July 2017

Multiple registration will not be condoned- JAMB warns

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The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) say it will not condone multiple registration for Direct Entry and Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). 

A statement signed by JAMB’s Head of Public Relations, Mr Fabian Benjamin said in Abuja on Sunday.

Benjamin described the act of multiple registrations as a serious offence in the process of obtaining the Board’s application forms presently on sale. He said that the warning had become imperative for people to know and understand that violation of such rule would attract sanctions. 

“Candidates are to note that our advertisement for 2017 UTME clearly states the penalty for any candidate caught buying two forms. “Members of the public are requested to note that any candidate who indulges in double registration will be caught by our software and disqualified. 

“The Board is not interested in the candidates’ money as is being insinuated by certain group who suggested to the Board that such registration will enhance the revenue base of the Board. “No, we are more interested in the credibility of the examination and not the money, if money is our concern we will not be returning over five billion naira to the Federal Government coffers.’’

Benjamin said this year, the Board had so far remitted more than five billion naira to government, the highest ever in the 40 years of its existence. He said that the money was saved through the transparent and judicious use of resources. 

Benjamin urged candidates to disregard all information on admission, especially cut-off marks being circulated on the net. According to him, the Board has established new method of admission in line with its mandate to ensure fairness irrespective of tribe, religion and it is determined to meet the expectations of Nigerians.

The JAMB public relations officer said that the Board had held consultations with universities across the country to enable candidates meet the requirement and secure admission without the assistance of anybody. According to him, no cut-off mark has been arrived at as this can only be done at a policy meeting, which is at the moment yet to be conveyed. “Do not allow yourselves to be defrauded by internet fraudsters, the policy meeting would commence the 2017 admission with all mode, process and acceptable conditions for admission. 

“The Prof. Oloyede led management is working to ensure transparent, acceptable and fair admission process. “We have designed software known as Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS), where human interference will be completely removed, to promote credibility. “The admission criteria would be keyed into the software and it will select candidates blindly according to the institutions requirement without any primordial consideration.’’



5 kidnappers of Delta students nabbed




The leader of a four-man kidnap gang, Austine, alias Lion, that recently abducted five secondary school students at Ughelli, Delta State, has blamed the devil for his action.

Opunbor disclosed that the children have been re-united with their families, while the committee has launched a manhunt for the three fleeing suspects.


The kidnappers, identified as Joseph, Onos, Omojevbe, Tina and Stella, were arrested by the Committee on Peace and Security, Delta State House of Assembly. Three members of the kidnap gang are, however, on the run 

The anti-kidnapping unit of the Committee caught the gang leader unawares. Chairman of the anti-kidnapping unit, Austin Opunbor, said: “Immediately we received the report of the kidnap of the school children, our committee mobilised its men to be on their trail. 

“While some of our personnel were on the streets monitoring events, others embarked on a thorough search from forest to forest and uncompleted buildings. “The arrest of the self-confessed gang leader was quite tasking,” adding that when the gang discovered that the committee was closing in on them, it quickly released the victims. 


JAMB remits N5million to Govt.

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The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, says it will not condone multiple registration for Direct Entry and Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME.

The agency also said it had so far remitted more than N5 billion to government, the highest ever in the 40 years of its existence.
A statement signed by JAMB’s Head of Public Relations, Fabian Benjamin, said in Abuja on Sunday.
Mr. Benjamin described the act of multiple registration as a serious offence in the process of obtaining the Board’s application forms presently on sale.
He said that the warning had become imperative for people to know and understand that violation of such rule would attract sanctions.
“Candidates are to note that our advertisement for 2017 UTME clearly states the penalty for any candidate caught buying two forms.
“Members of the public are requested to note that any candidate who indulges in double registration will be caught by our software and disqualified.
“The Board is not interested in the candidates’ money as is being insinuated by certain group who suggested to the Board that such registration will enhance the revenue base of the Board.


Friday 14 July 2017

School Proprietor Advise Gov On Standard Of Education



The Director and Founder, Awesome Kids Academy, Dr. Ngozi Odocha yesterday, said there is more to be done to improve educational services at public schools noting that the rate at which the standard of education is decaying is quite alarming.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony of its first set of Primary and Nursery pupils, Odocha said public schools could no longer compete with its private counterpart again especially in terms of quality teachers, improved technology and method of learning which is more reason why parents prefer to patronize private schools.
The School Director however said, while private schools cannot educate Nigerians alone, there is need for government to rise up to the occasion of saving the educational system from collapse.
She said, “The private school, we are trying very hard but the government school, there is overcrowding, and they are not meeting needs but private school is trying their best to meet those needs.”Also speaking at the ceremony, the chairman of the occasion Dr Joseph Nnorom advised Nigerians to shun all vices, which has brought so much hate to the society and embrace peace.
“We should not turn at each other, we should dialogue with each other, everybody in Nigeria should be WAZOBIA and every religion should be peaceful”, he added.
The graduation ceremony, which was lighted with a dance performance by both students and Teachers, Taekwondo display and talk shows also had students in four categories rewarded with prizes for excellent performance.

Micheal Okpara Uni experiences crisis after the sack of over 400 staff

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Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike, Abia State, is still enmeshed in controversy over the termination of the appointments of 496 workers last week.
While the workers, made up of academic and non-academic staff, have cried that they were sacked by the new vice-chancellor, Francis Otunta, to enable him “recruit his own people”, the university administration has said the workers were engaged on temporary basis and had failed the regularization of appointments.
“The staff were engaged on temporary basis in 2016 and their appointment automatically terminated after one year but we continued paying their salaries while waiting for the Governing Council to make their decision,” spokesperson of the university, Adanma Odefa, said on Monday.
She said the immediate past Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Hilary Edeoga, had erred over their appointments as he hired without informing the governing council.
“The Vice-Chancellor can hire on temporary basis if the need arises but he (Mr. Edeoga) went on a hiring spree and hired over 400 people knowing it is not his problem to pay them. The university is saturated with staff we don’t even need,” Ms. Odefa said.
She said Mr. Edeoga did not even brief his successor, Mr. Otunta, on the appointment of the workers.
“The past vice-chancellor acted wrongfully and criminally, why did he hire for the new vice-chancellor and didn’t allow him to hire for himself, ” the university spokesperson said.


But Mr. Edeoga faulted that position, insisting that university administration was a continuous process.

FG ends dichotomy between HND/BSc holders in the paramilitary service

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The Nigerian government has abolished the dichotomy between holders of university degree and higher national diploma, HND, in all the paramilitary services.
The development was announced through a press statement on Thursday signed by ,Abubakar Magaji, a permanent secretary in the Ministry of Interior.
According to the statement, the Civil Defence, Fire, Immigration and Prisons Board (CDFIPB), under the chairmanship of the Minister of interior, Abdulrahman Dambazzau, gave the approval for the change on Tuesday
The Board directed that all officers with HND are to be upgraded to COMPASS 08, which is the Salary Grade Level for holders of Degree certificates at entry point.
“The nomenclature for the HND holders will start with the Rank of Senior Inspector, the Degree holders are with the rank of Assistant Superintendent II”.
Below is the statement
CIVIL DEFENCE, FIRE, IMMIGRATION AND PRISONS REPOSITIONED FOR EFFECTIVE SERVICE
The Civil Defence, Fire, Immigration and Prisons Board (CDFIPB), at the end of its meeting held on Tuesday, 11th July 2017, under the chairmanship of the Honourable Minister of Interior, Lt Gen. (Rtd) Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau, approved the regularization of the dichotomy between holders of University degrees and Higher National Diploma (HND) in all the Services.
To this end, the Board directed that all officers with HND to be upgraded to COMPASS 08, which is the salary Grade Level for holders of Degree certificates at entry point. While the nomenclature for the HND holders will start with the Rank of Senior Inspector, the Degree holders are with the rank of Assistant Superintendent II.
The Board also approved the commencement of the Year 2017 Promotion Exercise for all the Services with effect from 17th July, 2017.
In order to boost internal security mechanism, the Board accordingly approved the establishment of the Institute of Domestic Security aimed at strengthening Inter-Agency cooperation, among other functions.
In another development, the Federal Government has approved the re-organisation of the Nigeria Immigration Service in line with the provision of Immigration Act, which stipulates the establishment of Directorate of Immigration.
The Directorates, each to be headed by Deputy Comptroller-General, are as follows:
Human Resources Management
Finance and AccountsPlanning, Research and StatisticsPassport and Other Travel DocumentsInvestigation and ComplianceBorder ManagementMigrationVisa and Residency
Permanent Secretary

The Honourable Minister states that the Government of President Muhammadu Buhari places high premium on the welfare of its workforce and hopes that officers and men in the Services will reciprocate this gesture through improved performance and dedication to duty, in line with the Executive Order on the Ease of Doing Business, so as to revamp the economy.
Abubakar G. Magaji

Wednesday 12 July 2017

LAUTECH: Senate has asked Nigerian Gov. to intervene

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The Senate has asked the Nigerian government to release N4 billion naira to Ladoke Akintola University of Technology to enable the crisis-ridden institution reopen and save the future of its 34,000 students.
The students have remained in the same classes since 2015 when workers of the institution began to strike over inadequate funding for their salaries and general operations.
Although jointly owned by Oyo and Osun states, the Senate on Wednesday said the federal government should take over and fund the Ogbomoso-based school as a “permanent solution” to its crisis.
This followed a motion by Abdulfatai Buhari, APC-Oyo, who hails from Ogbomoso, the host community of the school.
The crisis at the school has been intractable, with the students not being promoted for two years as the staff unions insist they will not return to work except they are paid several months’ backlog of salaries. The two state governments – apart from “appeal for cooperation”, – have not committed to settling the arrears.
The Alumni Association of the school last month launched the #FundLautech campaign to raise N1billion for the school. Less than 10 per cent of the fund has so far been raised.
In his motion, Mr. Buhari said “strike has crippled the activities of the school for more than one year due to the inability of the parent states to provide the sum of N4 billion to pay accumulated salaries and arrears of members of staff, thereby leaving over 3000 staff of the university to wallow in hardship and poverty.
“The careers of over 34,000 students are currently in jeopardy, turning them to social miscreants and leaving parents who have laboured to give their wards quality education to languish in pains and agonies for no fault of theirs.
“The current pitiable situation of LAUTECH has pathetically shown that the continuous joint-ownership in the management of the affairs of the university by the parent states is difficult and has become necessary for the federal government to intervene and review this nature of ownership.”
Apart from the funding request, the Senate also asked the federal government to set up a committee “that will look into the whole situation in order to provide permanent solution by taking over the institution.”
Amid the crisis rocking LAUTECH, Oyo State commissioned a technical university in Ibadan, which, according to the government, is based on public private partnership model.
It is not clear if the federal governemnt will heed the non-mandatory Senate resolution, an unusual one in a federal system. There is also no such provision in the federal government’s 2017 budget.

Nigerian Polytechnic has been closed due to students' protest over death of colleague

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The management of the Federal Polytechnic, Idah in Kogi, on Tuesday closed down the institution, following students’ violence over the murder of their colleague, Gabriel Adiku, by unknown persons.
A statement by the institution’s Deputy Registrar (Academics), D.I.S. Unwuchol, said that the closure was approved by the governing council after it reviewed the security situation.
The statement disclosed that Mr. Adiku, a Higher National Diploma student, was attacked by unknown assailants, who waylaid him on his way from class to his hostel.
“The victim was stabbed several times and left in a pool of his blood. Students later rushed him to the school clinic for treatment where he died,” Unwuchol said.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the situation took a negative twist, leading to the closure of the school, when angry students destroyed the clinic because they felt that Mr. Adiku would have survived if it was equipped.
The statement, however, indicated that the school would be reopened on August 6.

Kogi state governor begs state varsity ASUU to suspend strike



Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi has appealed to members of the state university Academic Staff Union to call off their strike and resume work. Bello, who visited the university at Ayagba on Tuesday, pledged to pay all the salary arrears of lecturers and non academic staff of the institution this month.

He said that the payment would cover those on contract and study leave, as well as those employed in 2015. The governor, however, said those who took the government to court would not benefit from the payment. “I am going to pay every single dime, compute the arrears of all outstanding salaries. And for peace to reign, we will pay all including those on sabbatical, contract and study leave. “We owe you this and we shall pay you,” he said. 
The royal father advised the government, university management, teachers, staff, students, parents and guardians to take their responsibilities in the education sector very seriously.


Bello said issues of education should not be politicised or reduced to mediocrity and sentiments. “Progress, development, advancement, breakthroughs, discoveries, innovations and inventions are supposed to be the hallmarks of this university but we can only achieve these if we are ready to face the reality. “What future do we have as a people and as a nation if we allow the rot to continue; we must have a rethink,” he said. 

The governor warned those fighting the administration for selfish gains to refrain from their action. Earlier, Prof. Adams Ahmad, Chairman, Governing Council of the university, described the governor’s intervention as `divine.’ Ahmad, who said the strike by the lecturers was avoidable, however, described the crises bedevilling the institution as “chronically endemic,” having accumulated over time and advised that it be tackled in phases. 

The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Mohammed Abdulkadir, in his welcome address, appealed to the governor to provide adequate accommodation, electricity, transportation, water and health facilities for the staff and students. Abdulkadir said that the institution presently have 419 lecturers and would require 361 more academic staff to function efficiently and effectively in all departments. 

He noted that non-accreditation of programmes in Health Sciences and the university Teaching Hospital among others had stagnated students who ought to be on clinical teaching by now. Also speaking, the Attah-Igala and President, Kogi Traditional Council of Chiefs, Dr Idakwo Amen-Oboni said “extreme unionism” was detrimental to peace and development. 


DAY 48 LAGOD KIDNAP: N20million extra paid for the release of students




A competent  government official, who would not want his name in print, yesterday told Vanguard that another N20 million ransom has been paid for the release of the six abducted students of Lagos Model College, Igbonla Epe , bringing the total amount so far paid to N30 million. The money was reportedly paid last week at an undisclosed place, as instructed by the captors.

Meantime, the Safe Schools and Communities Advocacy Group , SSCAG has tasked the Lagos State government and security agencies on the need to employ urgent actions towards the rescue of the six abducted students The group which was recently launched by a combination of 19 civil society organisations and Non-Governmental Organisations, in response to the long stay of the six students in their captors’ den, as well as the rising spate of criminality in Lagos state, expressed regret over the delay in the rescue operation, in spite of assurances from the Police.


Thus, expectation for the release of the students were high over the weekend, as parents of the affected students as well as those who stood as middle men for the negotiation, stayed awake from midnight Friday, to the early hours of Monday , expecting a call that would instruct them on where to pick the students.

But their hope was dashed, after a call was received to the contrary. Rather, the call from the kidnappers end, was a demand for additional N1.5 million as transport fare. Vanguard was reliably informed that the kidnappers claimed to have taken the students to a farther location that would take more than a day’s journey to bring them to the pick point.

They were also said to have insisted on getting the N1.5 million which they claimed would be used to fuel their means of transportation as well as to buy recharge cards . As at yesterday, Vanguard learned that the demand of additional N1.5 million was yet to be met, a reason given for the delay of the students release. 

When one of the parents was contacted, he denied  knowledge of the latest development but expressed optimism that the students would soon be released, if promises by the state government was anything to go by. He said; “Our hope was rekindled when we heard that the students were likely to be released last weekend. 

We were told that some people would go and bring them, while all parents would be contacted to assemble at a particular place to receive the students. But we waited endlessly without any word . As I speak, we are still hopeful, considering the assurances of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode during the commissioning of a project at Epe last week.” 


LAUTECH: ASUU set to continue strike till their demands are met.

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In response to various calls made by concerned Nigerians on lecturers of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology to resume duties, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) of the institution has insisted that its members would not return to work unless its demands from the owner states of Oyo and Osun are met.

This was disclosed by the Chairman ASUU, LAUTECH, Dr Abiodun Olaniran while speaking in Ibadan yesterday. He stressed that solution to the issue had transcended newspaper appeals but that the owner state governors should tackle what he described as chronic under-funding of the university. 
Inaugurating the committee, the Speaker, Mr Michael Adeyemo, said the committee would be headed by the Deputy Speaker, Mr Musa Abdulwasi, with a mandate to report to the House within a month.


He said; “Issue of ultimate survival of the institution as a proper university in the comity of other universities elsewhere” was never negotiable. “While ASUU is eager to put this ugly situation in LAUTECH behind us, we are interested in a honest and holistic address of the issues that forced us to proceed on the current strike”, he added. “It is gratifying that even the visitation panel set up by the owner states clearly called attention to this problem.“

Apparently making reference to the call by Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State, the academic Union maintained that, “For the governor to be calling on the striking staff who have been reduced to paupers due to months of unpaid salaries is the peak of insensitivity to the plight of the workers”, he complained. The institution has almost lost a session as a result of the strike and yet there appears no solution in sight.

Assembly probes LAUTECH Hospital contract Meantime, the Oyo State House of Assembly yesterday, inaugurated a special committee to investigate the award of contracts at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso and its outreach in Oyo town. 


On the education curriculum brouhaha






The Sun news of 5th July 2017 had a Headline; “Nigeria in trouble as production of gasoline cars ends in 2025”. According to the verdict of a Stanford University economist: “leading automobile manufacturers in Asia, Europe and the United States, to discontinue the manufacturing of petrol powered cars, buses and trucks in the next eight years.”  The report went further; “…the entire market for land transport  will switch to electronic powered transport system…this will lead to the collapse of oil prices and the demise of the petroleum industry, Nigeria’s key foreign exchange earner.”  Along the same direction, Volvo cars manufacturer in Sweden just announced that they will discontinue the production of gas powered vehicles by 2019, falling in line with Tesla.


The unfortunate situation is that, supposedly well informed individuals are trying to defend the absurd. The simple question is; why do we always love to create confusion where there seem to be none? Why not let things be, especially as it concerns religious matters? The unfortunate fate that has befallen this nation is that we have wasted valuable time and resources to promote religious and ethnic differences, instead of investing heavily in researches that will transform our technological and industrial growth to the standard of the first world. Why can’t we just allow religion to be what it is, and that is; a private affair between man and his creator. Why don’t we allow religion to be what it is? That is; a matter of choice for the individual. Why must we use our position to over ride our sentiments over others? When it comes to the setting up of policies, any decision that tend to favour one religion over another must be avoided. The NERDC must therefore allow Christian Religious Studies CRS, to stand on its own in the other category of the curriculum like the Arabic language, and its study must be by choice. This will end all of the needless controversies surrounding it but, if we keep defending it like the essay of one Pastor Yakub Jonah  in the social media, the controversy will fester to a boiling point. The answer is simple: allow the Christians to study what they want as it concerns their religion.


While  all of these are going our, our own Aliko Dangote, Nigeria and Africa’s richest man is busy building one of the biggest petroleum refineries in the world, here in Lagos-Nigeria, with very scarce and hard earned cash resources that could have been expended on more futuristic projects- that is; if the powers that be and those in control of the country’s policies allow it to be. If our researchers and planners of our education policies are in touch with happenings in the outside world, they would have been thinking of tailoring our education to fit the needs of our society and for our future survival.

As it is presently, oil is not the solution to our future survival, that is why the oil producing communities must “make hay while the sun shines” because oil has no future as we can see from present world developments. Members of the Nigerian Educational Research and Development council NERDC, must bow their heads in shame for the confusion that they have brought to our educational system. While other countries are making progress with their education reforms, Nigeria’s is mired in controversy. We are busy fighting over religion and ethnicity because some people in position of power have decided to put their selfish and parochial interests over the common  good. 


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Curriculum: Reason for Reps descision on CRK as am independent subject

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The House of Representative yesterday, by an unanimous voice note, jettisoned the government policy which subsumed Christian Religious Knowledge, CRK, in Civic Education as a compulsory subject in secondary school curriculum.

This followed a motion, titled “Call to make Civic Education an optional instead of a compulsory subject for Senior Certificate Examination”, by Beni Lar from Plateau State. 

The members after an exhaustive debate on the motion at plenary, agreed that the policy was incongruent with the spirit and letters of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) on the provision of religious liberties.

The members agreed that students with the inputs of their parents at formative years should be taught the religious subjects of their choice in school. Essentially, the House, while pointing out that  policy makers erred ab initio in tampering with the existing policy, also agreed that Islamic Studies and CRK should be taught independently and separately in the spirit of the constitution.

It will be recalled that the issue recently became a subject of controversy which pitted Christians in the country against the government. Moving the motion, Lar noted:  “Under the previous Secondary School Curriculum which brought a lot of discontentment, Civic Education was not a compulsory subject and religious education was taught as Islamic Religious Knowledge (IRK) and Christian Religious Knowledge (CRK), both of which were optional subjects. 

“The Federal Ministry of Education introduced a revised curriculum without due consultation with parents and stakeholders and the new nine-year Basic Education Curriculum on Religion and National Values Consolidated Religious Education and Civic Education under National Values and made Civic Education a compulsory subject for Senior Secondary Certificate Examinations.” 


The lawmaker also observed that the “curriculum for primary one to three, which is the formative stage of a child does not provide for adequate teaching of the religious beliefs of the people but rather destructive half-truths which destroy the fundamental beliefs and erodes the essence of such religion being taught the children.”

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OAU: Jugde forced to ammend EX-VC's detention order over protest




There was violent reactions from students and staff of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-ife, yesterday, as an Osun State High Court, sitting in Ede remanded the former Vice-chancellor of the university, Prof. Anthony Elujoba.


The presiding judge, justice David Oladimeji had earlier ordered Elujoba to be remanded in Ilesa prison, pending a ruling on his bail application. Oladimeji adjourned the hearing on Elujoba’s bail application till July 19, after listening to the two-sided argument on the merit of the application.


Elujoba is standing trial for alleged financial impropriety. 

Violent protest, however, followed the position of the court immediately, with students and staff from the university descending on perceived Elujoba’s enemies in the court premises. They barricaded all  entries to the court premises, an action that charged the atmosphere around the court.

The protesters claimed in their remarks that Elujoba was being persecuted by some cabal within the university community, saying he was innocent of all the charges levelled against him by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC.

They expressed readiness to stand with the former Vice Chancellor to the end, with a promise to fight any attempt aimed at tarnishing Elujoba’s image. The resilience of the protesting students and staff eventually paid off as the court was forced to reverse itself and adjusted its ruling.

Justuce Oladimeji adjusted Elujoba’s bail application, by setting the delivery date to Friday, July 15 and ordered him to be remanded at EFCC custody, instead of prison as earlier ruled. The development doused tension within the court premises, as all barricades were opened and the protest stopped.

Tuesday 11 July 2017

We have to train our students in different ways- Soboyejo



Nigerian teachers have been advised to adopt new approach in the teaching of sciences in universities and other tertiary Institutions in the country.
The Dean of Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, United States, Wole Soboyejo, said this at a workshop on Mathematics and Science for Sub-Saharan Africa organised by Africa University of Science and Technology on Monday.
He said such approach will raise young generation of Nigerians with the capacity to tackle the developmental needs of the country and the sub-region.
According to him, most of the teaching methods being used in the teaching of sciences are too abstract and hardly create the desired knowledge in students.
“We have to train our students and young ones in different ways,” Mr. Soboyejo said.
“We need to use methods such as social constructivism, project-based learning. We need to have extra-curricular activities, we need to engage the students in competition just as we play soccer in our society”.
He said that the current teaching methods being used in the country do not really connect to most of the students.
“The methods are too abstract and very often we do not teach creativity.”He added that the workshop would avail the participants the best practices and approaches to be used by trainers in science and technology.
Similarly, the Co-Centre leader of the Pan-African Material Institute (PAMI) of African University of Science and Technology (AUST), Sola Odusanya, said the workshop was to simplify the classroom learning environment by placing emphasis on practical teaching.
According to him, “it will showcase the classroom architecture rather than just the environment a teacher just come to teach”.
“We want to promote understanding in institutions to where people learn how to do things not just places people will go to memorise things and then regurgitate in examinations,” he said.

JAMB: Sales of direct entry form begins

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The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has commenced the sale of Direct Entry application form for candidates who have A-level results and wish to gain direct admission to degree programmes in Nigerian tertiary institutions.
JAMB spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, said this in a statement made available on Tuesday.
The board has equally commenced the sale of UTME application for Nigerians abroad and foreign candidates who desire to attend tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
He explained that the process is as it was with the UTME, where you create a profile and obtain the PINS and proceed for biometric capturing at the CBT centres for Direct Entry candidates.
The board urged all candidates wishing to register through direct entry to obtain the PINS at Interswitch, Remita or any of the commercial banks approved earlier for the vending of UTME PINS.
According to him, “the Board wishes to state that it has not commenced the change of course and institutions as all the approved CBT centres nationwide will be informed about when to start “.
He said candidates need not necessarily come to the Board’s centres for the change. It can be done in any of the CBT centres in order to avoid overcrowding.
“The delay has been occasioned by the Board’s preparation to ensure that the system is smooth and without encumbrances,” Mr Benjamin said.

Former Nigerian University VC apprehended over N1.4billion fraud.

Lecturers Protest Arraignment Of Former OAU VC

A former Vice Chancellor of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Anthony Elujoba, has been remanded in Ilesha Prisons after the bail application was dismissed.
Justice David Oladimeji of the Federal High Court in Ede, Osun State, ruled that Mr. Elujoba be remanded till July 19 when the case will be brought for hearing.
The former VC is standing trial on a seven-count charge of alleged corruption and abuse of office involving some N1.4 billion.
He is standing trial alongside the bursar of the university, Josephine Akeredolu.
But workers of the university see Mr. Elujoba’s trial as “victimisation”.
Two lecture-free days declared by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, in solidarity with Mr. Elujoba ended Tuesday.
On Tuesday, workers of the university protested the decision of the court to send the embattled professor to prison.
The Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities, NASU, locked down the court gate as the ruling was being handed.No one was allowed to leave the premises of the court at the time of this report.
The workers demanded the judge withdraw his ruling, and authorise the former vice chancellor be kept in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
Students fear the latest disturbances may further affect their academic calendar.

Monday 10 July 2017

UNILAG: generates N5million from recycling waste

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Mrs Sade Nubi, Senior Environmental Engineer, University of Lagos (UNILAG), said the institution through its recycling initiative realised about N5 million from waste generated by the university community.
Nubi disclosed that this in an interview with Newsmen in Cape Coast, Ghana at the ongoing Africa Cleanup conference.
She said that the university generates about 32.2 tons of wastes monthly from its 97,000 population including visitors.
“We try to make sure that the school environment is clean, we make sure that we sensitise people to know that an we can create wealth from waste.
“For UNILAG, despite the initial challenges of funding and negative attitude towards the initiative, we still moved ahead beyond the challenge to push forward and achieve our goal.
“We have been able to recycle as much as 23 tons of waste every month. We have recycling companies as partners who come to buy our waste.
 “We have been able to create income for the institution as well as employment,” she said. Nubi advised other institutions in the country to key into the recycling project and add value to their community.
 “For other universities it is important for us not to just dump our waste at dump site or landfill, let’s put value to it by getting people to sort it and recycle. “We also carry out research work. We can now categorise our waste which includes more of plastic bottles.
 “We have been able to raise between N4 and N5 million for the institution since the inception of the initiative and employ about 50 workers at the sorting centre in the institution.’’ Nubi said UNILAG was ready to collaborate with other institutions on the recycling project, so as to generate funds, create employment and add value to the education sector.
 The institution’s string and recycling centre was established in 2015.

Lassa fever:Student confirmed dead in Plateau school

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Plateau health commissioner, Kuden Deyin, has confirmed the death of one student, while two others have been hospitalised, following an outbreak of Lassa Fever at the Federal Government College, Langtang.
“Yes, there was an outbreak of Lassa Fever at the Federal Government College, Langtang; it has claimed one life while two others are in the hospital,” Mr. Deyin told the News Agency of Nigeria on Sunday, in Langtang.
He said that four students were rushed from the school clinic to the Jos University Teaching Hospital.
“The students displayed symptoms of Lassa Fever and we immediately took their blood samples to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, where three tested positive to the disease.
“One among those that tested positive is dead, while the other two are still on admission at JUTH,” he said.
Mr. Deyin said that the Plateau government had met with the principal of the college and advised her to halt the resumption of the students from their mid-term break.
The commissioner advised families with children from the school to observe them and report any noticed symptom of the fever to JUTH, Plateau Specialist Hospital or the Bingham University Teaching Hospital.
“Any child, who manifests symptoms of fever and bleeding from any part of the body, should be rushed to any of these hospitals for prompt evaluation,” he said.Mr. Deyin advised members of the public to pay attention to personal hygiene and keep the environments clean, while foodstuff should be protected from rodents.
He particularly cautioned Plateau residents against drying foodstuff on the highway as rats could defecate or urinate on them.
The commissioner urged health workers to be on the alert and rush patients with symptoms of Lassa Fever to tertiary health institutions.