Osun kicks off distribution of ‘Opon-Imo’ in public schools

Osun State government has commenced the distribution of 30,000 e-learning computer tablets for final year students in the state public schools.

The distribution of the tablets commenced at Osogbo Government High School, with beneficiaries lauding the government for the gesture.

While it lasted, 30,000 units of the tablets will be given to final year students and their teachers across the state.

The device, otherwise known as ‘Tablet of Knowledge’ (Opon imo), was introduced by the Rauf Aregbesola administration, for final year secondary school students in the state.

Since its introduction in 2013, it has served four sets of students in Osun public schools. Out of the intended 150,000 tablets, 50,000 have so far been produced and distributed to final year students and their teachers.

The practice however has been to withdraw them from the students after they complete their examinations.

The tablets will then be taken for refurbishment and software upgrade and once they are ready, they will be redistributed to new set of final year students.

Speaking ‎during the flag-off ceremony at Osogbo Government High School, the Principal, Mrs Folorunsho Ladapo, described Opon-Imo as an unusual education infrastructure in the state.

Ladapo confirmed that since its invention, the device has brought about significant improvement in teaching and learning across public schools in the state.

She explained that its introduction since the last four years has redefined the education system and as well set a new standard and direction for purposeful education in the state.

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How provision of online information could stir healthy competition among schools

Providing information online about schools’ programmes, performances, school fees and other extra curricular activities for parents to be guided when choosing a school for their ward has proved to be one sure way of inspiring healthy competition among schools.

Chief Executive Officer of SchoolsCompass, a school discovery platform, Mr. Adeboye Oshinaga, who spoke during a briefing in Lagos to celebrate the achievement recorded by the company, said such platforms allows a healthy comparison and competition which is not only good for educational advancement but also for the society.

He said though the company, founded three years ago has been in the business of finding and collating information about schools to aid parents find schools that match their budget, location, facility and curriculum preferences, it has discovered that such services is bound to bring positive turnaround in the country’s education system.

Citing a recent research done by World Bank Group, titled ‘The impact of providing school and child test scores on educational markets’, Oshinaga stated that there is empirical evidence to show that providing information about schools in a private schooling market increased test scores by 42 per cent, reduced school fee by 17 per cent and increased enrolment by five per cent.

“This is because better comparisons across education providers improves market efficiency which in turn raises child welfare, and we see such developments taking place in Nigerian schools particularly now that we have crossed the milestone of 1,000 schools who trust us to increase enrolment into their schools by connecting them to ready parents eager to enroll their kids.

Oshinaga, added that not only does this kind of services guide and offer parents with required information, it will also inspire schools to be on their toes so as to continually remain relevant in the educational market.

He said solving the problem of school-search for parents in Africa who are finding the ideal schools and wishing to engage with schools online, gave birth to the firm.

“With more than 1,000 quality schools on ww.schoolscompass.com.ng, and over 20,000 parents visiting the site monthly, we are glad about the patronage we have received so far and hope to be the key destinations for Nigerian parents throughout the schooling life of their children as we become a community that fosters better school and education choices for parents,” he said.

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Professor seeks spiritually-minded leaders for socio- economic change

Crawford University

A professor of Business Administration and Management, Crawford University, Igbesa Ogun State, Prof Patrick Yalokwu, has insisted that for Nigeria and African countries to take a leap towards the much needed socio economic transformation and technological development, it is imperative to harness the competencies of spiritually minded leaders.

Speaking at the 3rd inaugural lecture of the institution titled, “Spiritually minded authentic leadership: Catalyst for sustainable development,” he noted that such leaders are anchored by their own deep sense of self, they know who they are and where they stand on important issues, values and beliefs. They genuinely desire to serve others through their leadership.

According to the university teacher, “Such leaders are more interested in empowering the people they lead to make a difference and are guided by the qualities of the heart, passion and compassion, as they are driven by the quality of the mind. They also recognise the value of individual differences and have the ability and motivation to identify people’s talents and help build those talents into strengths.

He added that if such leaders were elected into public offices, there would be reduction in vices, increased morale and sense of belonging, productivity and creativity, greater job satisfaction, increased happiness, self-esteem and greater involvement with work.

He also noted that successful organisations and nations all over the globe just don’t happen. They are logical results of the efforts of quality management and leadership.

According to him, “When you have a management and leadership that adopts systems thinking as well as future thinking, there would be rapid growth and development in such a country.

Meanwhile, the vice chancellor, Prof Rotimi Ajayi has posited that the nation needs more and better quality universities to meet the teeming number of candidates seeking university education.

Prof Ajayi who disclosed this at a press conference on the programme of activities for the institution’s 9th convocation ceremony said for a nation of 180 million people, the opposition against establishment of new universities is largely uncalled for.

“In fact, what we need is more and better quality universities. With the imbalance in the university admission where public universities would have a surfeit of admission while private universities are forever contending with near-empty classrooms is attributable to the artificial conditions created by governments at the various level where people access higher education for next-to-nothing.

“It is this ironical situation that is perpetuating the imbalance in our educational landscape. In other climes, people do not access higher education in public or private institutions for “free.” The cost may be a little reduced but quite unlike this clearly unsustainable scenario we are having in Nigeria,” he said.

The vice chancellor advocated a review of the fees payable in government universities saying this would help attract students to private institutions and create greater access for more Nigerians.

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At UCMAS competition, stakeholders urged to embrace novel concept

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Stakeholders in the sector have been urged to incorporate Universal Concept of Mental Arithmetic System (UCMAS) into their academic programmes to ensure the realisation of a generation of geniuses for the nation.

Proprietors and head of participating schools who spoke during the maiden edition of UCMAS National Competition in Lagos, said UCMAS, a revolutionary programme is recognised and practiced in over 70 countries worldwide. They said it was first introduced in Nigeria in October 2015 for the benefits of students between ages five and 14.

The programme saw about 100 students from several schools within the country competing and answering 150 mental arithmetic questions within eight minutes.

Director, J.S. High School, Surulere, Joyce Alli said every educational institution particularly at the primary school level should key into UCMAS learning concept so that they could produce students who are able to develop their accuracy and speed.

According to her, “The concept in fact affects the whole learning process, not just mathematics. Attention is key in every learning process, if a child is able to focus properly, he/she will turn out very well”.

She advised that government should incorporate the programme into school curriculum so that more children could also benefit.

On the relevance of the programme to a child’s mental and academic development, UCMAS Nigeria Country Manager, Mr. Emmanuel Alade explained that with its unique methodologies of stimulating and challenging the brain neurones of children, develops both the right and left hemispheres of the brain, thereby enhancing their concentration, imagination, logical reasoning, mental arithmetic skills, speed and accuracy, photographic memory, listening, creativity, visualisation and memorisation skills.

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I want to be famous as a banker, says Howells’ One Day Principal

PHOTO: easyhometutor.com

Idowu Olatanmiwa was adjudged the overall best student in the Junior Secondary School One (JSS1) of Bishop Howells Memorial Grammar School, Bariga. For this feat, he was recently celebrated and given the honour of conducting the school’s assembly as a One Day Principal.

The position, which is a creation of the school management, is intended to encourage and build the innate leadership skill of the student found to be the best in the junior secondary school.

Now in JSS II, Olatanmiwa during the one-day feat was allowed to occupy the office of the school principal, conduct the morning assembly and run the affairs of the school.

An elated Olatanmiwa in his remarks said he felt honoured and happy on the privilege accorded him to superintend over the affairs of the school for one day.

“I feel happy being the beneficiary of the ‘One Day Principal’ in my school. I thank God for everything. In the morning I had the opportunity of conducting the school assembly, which is usually done by the principal.

“I had the privilege of visiting various classes, supervised the conduct of many things. My status also afforded me the opportunity to visit my former school, the Lagos Anglican Nursery and Primary School. There I was encouraged to work harder and take my education very seriously.

“The concept is like a leadership training because when I grow up, I will do things that will make me do more and keep on focusing on my studies.

To parents, my advice for them is to encourage their children to study harder so that they can perform well and excel in life,” he added.

The Principal, Rev. Bamidele Adesina Osunyomi, said the exercise was to celebrate the achievement of Olatanmiwa, who emerged as the best student of the JSS One 2016/17 school session.

“Master Idowu Olatanmiwa for last session’s academic performance emerged as the One Day Principal. He ruled the school for 24 hours, rode in the Principal’s official vehicle and gave instructions during the school’s assembly.

“For occupying my seat, he is going to be paid. The idea is part of the leadership training for our students to prepare them for the tasks ahead.

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Army officer emerges best student in UK varsity

• UNIBEN Student Wins First NCDMB Oil, Gas Essay Competition

Lieutenant Colonel Sikiru Adepoju Mohammed of the Nigerian Army Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers has emerged best PhD Engineering student and overall second best at the University of Leeds, United Kingdom.

The Nigerian Army officer, who holds a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering and Master’s degree from the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) said, due to his interest in seeing students pursue higher learning in engineering related disciplines, he would commit his cash prize to providing teaching aid at Community Senior High School, Akodo, in Ibeju/Lekki Local Government Area of Lagos State, where he hails from. His research interest is in additive manufacturing, corrosion and robotics.

Meanwhile, an undergraduate of the University of Benin, Edo State, Mr. Kingsley Osamede, has won the annual oil and gas essay competition by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB)Osamede is a 200-level student of Medicine and Surgery was rewarded with a cash prize of N500,000, a laptop and a plaque.

He defeated Augustine Ekele, a 200-level student of Dentistry and Dental Surgery at UNIBEN; Victory Williams of Federal University, Otuoke; Elizabeth Ezekiel, a student of Medicine and Surgery, Ambrose Ali University, Ekpoma and Mayeroghene Obodoya of Delta State University, Abraka, to win the coveted award.

Earlier, in his remarks, the chairman of the occasion and Commissioner for Education, Bayelsa State, Mr. Jonathan Obuebite, said capacity development was imperative in developing the country.

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Nsukka professors hold third Adada lecture

University of Nigeria

The 3rd edition of the Association of Nsukka Professors (ANP) organised annual Adada Lecture Series holds on Friday, December 15 at Princess Alexandria Auditorium and Unity Hall, University of Nigeria, Nsukka at 10am.

A press statement signed by the Chairman of the association, Prof Denchris Onah, and its Secretary, Prof Fidel Ugwuowo, and made available to The Guardian, said the title of this year’s lecture, to be delivered by the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, is ‘Restructuring: In whose Interest,’

Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi would be the Special Guest of Honour at the event to be chaired by President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief John Nnia Nwodo (Jnr).

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Kano varsity commences e-examination next session

PHOTO: Shutterstock

The Kano University of Science and Technology (KUST), Wudil, is to commence computer-based examination from the next academic session.

With this, the institution would join league of Information Communication Technology (ICT)-driven higher institutions in the conduct of examinations from a written-based to electronics system in the country.  

Its Vice Chancellor, Prof Shehu Musa, said the plan was part of his visions to integrate the university into an academic centre of excellence with mutual linkages and collaboration with foreign and national institutions.

Musa, who spoke at a press briefing, noted that with over 2,800 new computer sets provided at the new ICT Center constructed by the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) with broadband Internet facility, the university would be fully ICT compliance.

He stated that the institution, under his leadership, has expanded students’ enrolment from 8,000 in the last four years to 15,738, with 5,000-admission quota, compared to the previous 1,000.

The vice chancellor explained that the increase in the carrying-capacity of the university was not unconnected to the establishment of additional faculties and departments to expand the frontier of academic excellence, adding that KUST, within the spans of four years of his tenure, secured accreditation of all its 21 academic programmes by the National Universities Commission (NUC).

He said: “When we came into office, we outlined a seven-point agenda to achieved and I can report that all the targets have been fulfilled. These include expanding the frontiers of academic programmes; ensuring quality assurance; creating collaboration and linkages with national and international institutions; improving our internally generated revenue; ICT compliance; enhancing welfare of staff and students; and host community development.

“When we came, we met shortage of manpower, both in academic and non-academic, and with the support enjoyed from the Visitor of the university, we were able to employ over 200 staff. Now, the university has 400 permanent and pensionable staff, up from 191.

“We have been also promoted 20 senior lecturers to the ranks of professors and readers. Already, 42 lecturers have just completed their PhD’s and 70 are still pursing their PhD.”

Musa, who regretted that the university was still contending with ecological challenge, especially during the raining session, expressed optimistic that the federal government would soon approved its request to check the incessant degradation.

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French government, varsity agree to expand frontiers of collaboration

FUNAI

The French Government and Federal University, Ndufu-Alike Ikwo (FUNAI), Ebonyi State, have agreed to expand the frontiers of agreement their to make it more robust, engaging and capable of affecting other areas.

The French Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Dennys Gauer, said recently during an official visit to the university, that the partnership, geared towards providing postgraduate scholarship opportunities to qualified academic staff of FUNAI in celebrated French universities, is a first of its kind in the Nigerian university system.

The visit afforded the French envoy the opportunity to compare notes with the institution’s management, where both parties agreed to expand the partnership to other areas, such as staff and student exchange programmes.

Welcoming the envoy, Vice Chancellor of FUNAI, Prof Chinedum Nwajiuba, noted that the visit was highly valued and would be recorded as a significant event in the history of the young university.

He commended the French Government for agreeing to partner the university in building the capacities of its academic staff, noting that it also provides opportunity to raise a new generation of quality academics who would determine the character of the university.

He said FUNAI plans to be a renowned institution known for its faculty and student diversities, adding that a critical number of staff trained in France would support its internationalisation plans.

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Call for National Book Policy approval, implementation intensifies

If Nigeria must have good value system, good governance and educational development, the National Assembly must urgently approve the National Book Policy (NBP), which has been on its table for several years.

Stakeholders who gathered at this year’s conference and general meeting of the Nigeria Publishers Association (NPA), held at Sheraton Hotel, Lagos, with the theme “Functional National Book Policy: A catalyst for educational development,” said the policy, if approved will be beneficial to authors, institutions, publishers, parents and children as well as engender improved book industry, distribution and use.

Besides, it will solve the myriads of problems confronting the nation’s educational system and the book industry.Executive Secretary of Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), Prof. Ismail Junaidu, who spoke at the conference, said the council, which has the mandate to implement the NBP had since sent a draft copy of the policy to the National Assembly, wondering why it is yet to get feedback from them.

Junaidu, represented by the Director, Book Development Centre of the council, Dr. Imaobong Nsehe, said, “The policy has been drafted and approved by the National Council on Education, but is now awaiting assent by the National Assembly. It has been with them for some years now and we keep sending reminders. So far we have not gotten any feedback. And so we are appealing to them to assent to it so that it will become a public document that can be used by all stakeholders.”

The keynote speaker and former Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission NUC, Prof. Peter Okebukola, urged publishers to be innovative in their affairs so that learners can make judicious use of the knowledge embedded in books.

“We have books everywhere but the people to read the books don’t have the appetite to do so, reading culture in Nigeria is depressing. If that is not arrested, we will just keep flooding the system with books and the knowledge encoded in them are not able to get transmitted. We have to see how we can encourage development of reading culture by teachers, students and parents at all levels of education.

“And this should be done by enhancing the literacy level of the citizens. So our agencies at state and federal level that are concerned with promoting literacy generally should strive to see how reading culture can be promoted. Like reading and summarising a book once a week will suffice, we did that during our secondary school days and that stimulated our appetite to read, and helped tremendously in expanding our horizon of knowledge of several things.”

He also challenged stakeholders to embrace book digitisation as another means of promoting reading culture, adding that many children and adults use the technological gadgets, “and if we are able to put contents that would entice them in their devices it will help to stimulate their reading culture.

President, NPA, Mr. Gbadega Adedapo, while stating that functional book policy should be implemented to the latter, said “research has shown that majority of books were pirated copies and this has degenerated into mistrust among stakeholders as well as availability of raw materials and equipment to process it, among others. We are optimistic that functional book policies if implemented would solve some of these problems.”

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UNICEF trains 10, 000 school children on hand washing

UNICEF

The United Nation Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has groomed over 10, 000 children in Boki and Yakurr local government areas of Cross River State on benefits of effective hand washing.

The children who were drawn from over 200 schools in both councils will also act as UNICEF ambassadors of hygiene in terms of hand washing and general hygiene in the state.
 
The UNICEF hand washing training programme which was handled by Water and Sanitation Hygiene (WASH), saw pupils in their thousands from various schools and communities as they marched out in their colourful uniforms to wash their hands with water and soap or ashes thus keying into the global hand washing day themed “Our hand our future”.

In an interview, the Boki council WASH Coordinator, Mr. Emmanuel Agbor said, “Monkey Pox is a contagious disease and if you touch without washing your hands, you may contact it and spread it to other persons, so hand washing stands as a very big barrier to the transmission of this disease and any other one that may have similar means of transmission”.

He said “if we do it at critical times like after using the toilet, when we touch animals and after changing baby’s diapers, certainly good health is guaranteed.”
 
On his part, the facilitator, Mr. Samuel Itodo, said, “UNICEF is supporting communities through the schools to promote hand washing at all times.  
 
In Yakurr, the Director, Environmental Health, Ugep Urban Development Authority, Izong Lebo, said for the culture of effective hand washing to be part and parcel of everyday life, the authorities concerned should make laws that would promote hygiene among all and sundry. 

On his part, the WASH Consultant, Mr. Collins Njoku, said, “when children practice hand washing from infancy, they will become change agents in their schools and even their communities.

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Stakeholders laud Unilever’s launch of ‘Heroes for Change’

Unilever

For creating a unique platform for Nigerian youths to contribute their quota to community development through “Heroes for Change” initiative, stakeholders in the education sector have commended Unilever Nigeria Plc.

“Heroes for Change,” a social mission volunteer programme anchored on Unilever Sustainable Living Plan (USLP), recruits, teaches and empowers university undergraduates and members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to contribute to societal growth via volunteerism. Participants teach Unilever’s social mission programmes with focus on Health and Well-being in their communities.

Speaking at the launch, Chairman of First Bank, Nigeria, Ibukun Awosika, commended the firm for the initiative, charging the youths to use the platform to make a difference in their communities and beyond.

She said, “The success of project Nigeria is one that should concern everyone, particularly the youths who make up a sizeable portion of our population and are the most active, creative and passionate. The Nigeria of your dream is only possible when you defy the odds and take a step to making a change with your talent, efforts, passion and energy.”

Executive Vice President, Unilever Ghana - Nigeria, Yaw Nsarkoh, said, the initiative is one of the ways the company demonstrates its objective of making sustainable living a commonplace.

“Through this initiative our volunteers will go into the communities and teach them about our social mission programme on health and well-being using the ‘Knorr Force for Good programme’ that educates mothers and teenage daughters on nutritious cooking behaviours. This will reduce the prevalence of iron deficiency anaemia in Nigeria, a major public health issue. 
 
Echoing Nsarkoh’s view, President, Unilever Africa, Bruno Witvoet, said the company is committed to creating a better future for all through its brands social mission programmes.

Marketing Director, Foods, Unilever, Ghana–Nigeria, Ogedi-Alakwe Nsima, said the youths partnership with Unilever, will stir their consciousness to the role they need to play towards building the Nigeria of our dream.

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Lagos launches Current Affairs Quiz Competition to boost learning

Deputy governor, Dr Idiat Adebule (left); handing over the trophy to winners of the senior category, Olaniyi and Joseph

As part of efforts to broaden the knowledge of its pupils in public schools, the Lagos State government has launched a Current Affairs Quiz Competition, which recently produced its maiden winners.

The competition, which held at the Adeyemi Bero Auditorium, Alausa tested the pupils’ knowledge of historical and current knowledge of Eko, Lagos State, Nigeria as well as the international community.

Deputy Governor, Dr Idiat Adebule who lauded the exemplary performance of the pupils expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the competition.She explained that the competition was aimed at broadening the horizon of participants from the preliminary level to the finals in addition to encouraging them to break new grounds and soar higher.

Adebule enjoined pupils in the state public schools to take advantage of the competition to deepen their knowledge on current affairs to enable them excel in their future aspirations.

“It is a vindication of the decision of the ministry to create this diet of quiz competition following observation that there was a lapse in that area as revealed by students’ responses to questions posted to them during the Science, Arts & Craft Exhibition and Talent Hunt on May 23, 2017.

“This government is happy with the overt display of knowledge by our amiable children in all facets of life- science and technology, humanities as well as art and craft, but we noticed a gap in current affairs. Thus, in order to encourage you to break new grounds and soar higher, the government decided to create another diet of quiz competition that is current affairs based.”

She advised the pupils to take advantage of the digital library launched in May to expand their knowledge of current affairs.In her address, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Mrs Adebunmi Adekanye noted that the standard of questions asked and the ease with which the pupils answered them was a testimony that the competition was already achieving the desired results.

In the senior category, the duo of Olaniyi Ibukun and Isaiah Joseph of Ansar-ud deen Senior High School, Falolu, defeated Modester Akubuobi and Samuel Chinedu of the Lagos State Senior Model College, Kankon, by a narrow margin of three points to emerge winner of the keenly contested competition.

In the Junior category, the Lagos State Junior Model College, Igbonla made up of the Adedokun siblings, Salamat and Abdullah beat Aje Comprehensive Junior School, Sabo-Yaba by a wide margin. 

The Model College team scored 26 points while the Aje Comprehensive team could only manage to score 12 marks.The Primary School category was also a close competition between Ireti Primary School, Apapa and the Federal Housing Estate Primary School, Victoria Island. 

The former, represented by Samson Ajisebutu and Edith Ndubuisi, got 18 points to defeat Bassey Kinsley and Usman Abubakar who got 16 points.

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Much ado about non-academic staff’s earned allowance

ASUU National President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi

Nigeria’s tertiary education system is synonymous with crisis and the Federal Government is accused of doing little to change the dynamics. Head, Education Desk, Iyabo Lawal, writes that if the ongoing face-off over the N23billion earned allowance disbursement is not quickly resolved, university students may have more years to spend in school than necessary.

The school gate was shut. Successful Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination candidates who had come for screening at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) were stranded. The school’s non-academic staff had refused to work. In droves, the workers milled around the institution’s premises, protesting the two per cent allocated to them of the N23b earned allowance for both teaching and non-teaching staff.
   
In Nigeria’s education sector, it never rains but it pours.Just smarting from the Academic Staff Union of Universities’ (ASUU) protracted strike; the Federal Government may be courting another crisis if it fails to properly address the brewing discontent in the camp of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities. (NASU).

It all started in January.On January 16, the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT); NASU and the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU) embarked on a five-day warning strike because of the Federal Government’s failure to implement the 2009 agreements with the unions.
   
The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the unions, speaking of the inevitability of the strike then had noted that the industrial action was necessary to make the government take action to fully implement the 2009 FGN/Non-Teaching Staff Unions Agreements it reached with the unions.
   
“The university system is challenged by poor governance and administrative lapses, which need to be addressed holistically. There is poor funding of our universities, shortfall in payment of staff salaries, increasing corruption in the university system,” the unions had told the federal government.
   
Also listed among the problems that required the attention of the government was the problem of inadequate physical infrastructure and abandoned projects, which the unions said reduced the capacity and output of their members.Other areas they mentioned the government had neglected were the problem of lack of adequate teaching and learning facilities, which have reduced the productivity of workers and the non-payment of earned allowances being product of the 2009 agreement.
   
That same January, the unions also mentioned the issue of the Nigerian University Pension Management Commission, (NUPEMCO) to resolve the problem of university staff pensions, the non-implementation of the National Industrial Court (NIC) judgment on university staff schools and the non-implementation of the negotiated career structure for technologists, CONTISS 14 and 15.
   
But it is the earned allowance that is creating a scenario of hullabaloo across the nation’s universities at the moment – about 12 months after the five-day warning.
   
Last Friday, the JAC directed the SSANU, NASU and the NAAT to resume strike this Monday.A letter to the entire branch chairmen of the three unions titled, ‘Directives to immediately resume the suspended strike,’ was signed by Samson Ugwoke, SSANU, Chris Ani, NASU and Sani Suleiman, NAAT.
   
Concerning the earned allowance, the unions claimed that what they got was too meager compared to what ASUU received, complaining that the government failed to explain how the N23bn Earned Allowance was shared between ASUU and the non-academic staff. 
   
“Please recall our last correspondence to you in which we informed you of the letter written to the Minister of Education, rejecting the allocation made by the office of the Permanent Secretary. In the said letter, the Federal Government was given seven days to explain the criteria for the said allocation and do the needful. The deadline has elapsed without any response from the Federal Government of Nigeria.
   
“In view of the above, therefore, you are hereby directed to resume the suspended indefinite strike action as from 12 midnight, Sunday, December 3, 2017. During this period, the strike shall be total and comprehensive,” JAC instructed its members in a recent letter.
   
Now academic activities on campuses have been grounded to a halt.At UNILAG, aspiring and eager students could not get screened, following their successes at the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination because the school’s non-academic workers are on strike.

The institution union’s Chairman, Kehinde Ajibade, justifying the strike action was quoted as saying, “The Federal Government is not sensitive enough to tackle our problems. How can the government give two per cent of the N23b to non-academic staff? UNILAG’s case is the worst. We were all given N23m as earned allowance. We have been robbed and we totally reject that.”

However, the President of ASUU, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, believes the non-teaching workers have no stake in the N23bn earned allowance released by the federal government.According to him, the academic union was only being brotherly when it gave a tiny slice of the money to the non-academic unions.

Ogunyemi pointed out that the money was for ASUU only and that the union only decided to give a slice of it to the non-academic unions following the federal government’s plea in that direction.

“We sat back to review what we were supposed to give our members. We had to cut down part of our members’ claims to give a portion to the non-teaching staff because the government requested us (to do so). They (non-teaching unions) too can make their demands known to the government. But they should not vent their anger on our union; that would be anti-labour,” the ASUU president said.

He alleged that in 2013, the non-academic unions shared N30bn earned allowance that was released to the universities with ASUU not benefitting a dime from the largesse.

“While we are not against protests by other union members, we shall take necessary steps to protect our members. All the threats of assault and kidnapping against our members would not be condoned. We urge the university authorities and the government to protect our members. We shall take all necessary steps to ensure that our members are not harmed,” Ogunyemi added.

Ajibade however showed no signs that the non-teaching unions have any intentions to be at loggerheads with ASUU. For him, the real issue lies with the federal government.He asserted, “We’re not returning to work until our money is released. We know what the Federal Government is trying to do – but that cannot work – they want us to clash with the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
They want to cause a crisis within the university system. But we don’t have any issues with ASUU. It is the Federal Government we have issues with.”

Just some few days to the end of September this year, the government held an eight-hour-long meeting with SSANU, NASU, and NAAT to suspend a strike they had embarked on.Following the conclusion of that meeting, the SSANU President, Samson Ugwoke had said, “A three-page agreement was signed and endorsed by all of us. We are taking our document and we will make our pronouncement soon.”

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, said both parties had reached a consensus, which would be passed to the union executive members for deliberation.“Based on this conclusion, we all agreed that the JAC will consult its organ with a view to calling off the strike as soon as possible,” Ngige had said.

Are the non-academic staff unions being too hard to please? Or, have they become a public nuisance – a clog in the academic system?
In December 1992, when Prof Babatunde Fafunwa was Education Minister, the federal government approved a separate university salary table that favoured members of the ASUU, when the non-academic staff unions heard of the disparity in the salary, they embarked on a 42-day nationwide strike to demonstrate their disapproval of the salary review which favoured the academic staff over the non-teaching staff, who are a majority of the workforce.. 

In 1999, the non-academic unions presented a memorandum to the federal government to press home their demand for improved terms and conditions of services that would correct the problem created by the National Minimum Wages of Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar on Elongated University Salary Scale (EUSS) in favour of the civil service salary table. The EUSS was re-styled as the Harmonised Tertiary Institutions Salary Structure (HATISS).

Speaking on the current controversy, the national public relations officer of SSANU, Abdussobur Salaam debunked claims of competing with ASUU saying there is an existing template on the allocation of earned allowances, which the academic union jettisoned, in the current arrangement.

In 2013, N30 billion was allocated to the universities and ASUU got over 60 percent of the money, while the non-teaching staff got about 40 percent. Given the templates, we did not have a problem with that. They got the bigger share but it was acceptable to us because it was based on what was negotiated. In the present case, to exclude the non-teaching staff, ASUU started a new song of Earned Academic Allowances. It is a ploy to divert and exclude the non-teaching staff from allowances, which were to be allocated to all staff within the system.

He said,” we are not competing with ASUU; what we are saying is that there is an existing template , each union has an allocation, a situation where money is shared arbitrarily is unacceptable. This is not the first tranche of money the unions will be getting from the federal government, in 2013, it was shared on 60-40 ratio but this time around, ASUU allocated 89 percent to itself while we got 11 percent, which is unacceptable.

“Look at what was allocated to the University of Ibadan (UI), Obafemi Awolowo University and UNILAG vis a vis the allocations to the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA). How can UI got 105m, UNILAG 23m and FUTA 378m? The question we are asking is, what is the sharing formula that made FUTA got more than the first generation universities? University of Porthacourt got more than UI and Ife put together?

“There are so many things that don’t add up. Contrary to speculations by those who don’t know, we are not in competition with any group. We are only insisting that the templates for the 2009 agreements of all unions with the Federal Government should be used in allocating the funds, “ Salaam insisted.

As the strike action entered its fourth day, the question on many people’s lips is: why does the government have to make policies if it is not ready to provide available resources to implement them?

If the government continues to renege on its promises to the academic and non-academic unions, the end may be the total crippling of the education sector and the disillusionment of Nigerian youths who spend many years seeking admission and many more years in school because of one policy somersault after the other.

As jingle bells chime solemnly, ushering the Yuletide, university students may have to prepare for a long Christmas break. There is no respite yet for the tertiary education sector, which started the year with a crisis and is ending it with another.
 

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College partner foreign varsities on research, wins ICT award in U.S

Adeyemi College of Education (ACE), Ondo has partnered with the International Centre for Information Technology and Development (ICITD), Southern University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA for joint research works. 

The Provost, Prof. Olukoya Ogen who signed the agreement recently said the partnership will guarantee the donation of an e-learning centre to the college and the establishment of a staff/student exchange initiative between America and Nigeria.

Meanwhile, Ogen has received a Lifetime Achievement Award for the adoption of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in higher education.

He travelled alongside 12 vice chancellors to Baltimore, Maryland to honour the invitation of the President of Morgan State University (MSU), in commemoration of the 150th Founder’s Day Anniversary and convocation ceremony of MSU.He will also sign another Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with MSU before he returns to the country on December 4.

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‘Igbinedion varsity providing leadership to meet national education goals’

Igbinedion University, Okada, Edo State

…Graduates 634, 11 get First Class degrees

Vice chancellor, Igbinedion University, Okada, Edo State, Prof Eghosa Osaghae has assured best graduating students of the institution of automatic employment as a way of promoting academic excellence.

He said all students from Kano and Bauchi States as well as those under the federal government amnesty programme who graduated with Second Class Upper Degree, have automatic appointment slots.Osaghae who spoke at the 15th convocation ceremony of the institution also lamented government’s non- supportive roles to private universities, particularly with funds to manpower and skills development.

He said, “Government has continued to fail us in critical areas, only providing funds and interventions to public universities.” Osaghae stated that the private sector could do more and grow the economy if government keys into its programmes and policies by providing funding to take up aggressive research and knowledge drive.

The vice chancellor described the convocation ceremony as an opportunity for stock taking, boasting of the best of students and academic facilities, occasioned by uninterrupted power supply on campus, which is the hallmark of the institution since inception.

Osaghae said the institution graduated 85 students in the federal government’s amnesty programme while a total of 634 graduands were awarded first and higher and higher degrees at the ceremony.

In his breakdown, 11 bagged first class, 220 second class upper, 248 second class lower and 15 third class degrees.Reeling out the institution’s achievement since its inception in 1999,Deputy Chancellor and former Edo State Governor, Chief Lucky Igbinedion, who represented the Chancellor, Chief Gabriel Osawaru Igbinedion said the institution has produced over 3,000 lawyers, 1,500 doctors, over 2,000 graduates of engineering, 800 pharmacists and many more professionals from other disciplines.

“As the number one and the leading private university in Nigeria, we shall continue to provide leadership to other private universities in providing quality education to our dear country to see that it meets its national education goal. “Igbinedion said.

Delivering the 15th convocation lecture, titled, “Restructuring and the future of Nigeria”, Ambassador Nkoyo Toyo said restructuring must be backed by law and guarantee the prosperity of all regions. She added that restructuring must not pit one region against another while the centre must not be made so weak so as to be able to curb separatist agitatons.

On his part, former Military Head of State, Gen Abdulsami Abubakar, who was a special guest at the ceremony sued for peaceful coexistence amongst Nigerians.“ If there is no peace there would be no Nigeria, so it is duty of all to ensure that at all levels, we maintain peace and also do our own citizens right,” he said.  

The Chancellor of the institution and Esama of Benin, Sir Gabriel Osawaru Igbinedion, lauded Abubakar for his role in encouraging private universities’ growth in the country and pointed out that the institution has not failed the federal government as it has produced manpower for the development of the nation.

He said to encourage more students’ enrolment in the institution; it has given 30 percent discount for students from the Northern part of the country.

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Winners emerge in Rhodes Scholarships for West Africa

Twenty-year-old Ghanaian Statistician, Emmanuelle Dankwa, and 24-year-old Nigerian Doctor, Toluwalase Awoyemi, have emerged winners of the 2018 Rhodes Scholarships for West Africa. The duo will be joining 93 others from around the world to commence studies at the prestigious University of Oxford, United Kingdom in October next year.
 
Dankwa and Awoyemi emerged tops among the 15 candidates that made the final shortlist.A total of 2,948 applications were received from intending scholars across the region out of which 244 that graduated with a First Class degree or its equivalent made it to the next round. Through further screening and in-person interviews the number was eventually pruned to 15.
 
Rhodes Scholars are chosen on the basis of the criteria set down in the Will of Cecil John Rhodes, who established the scholarships in 1903. Academic excellence is a major prerequisite for selection but it is only a threshold condiπtion.  Other important criteria include moral force of character, commitment to service and the instinct to lead. 
   
Founder of Leap Africa and a member of the West Africa Selection Committee, Ndidi Nwuneli said, “All 15 finalists were remarkably brilliant with outstanding individual qualities but we could only select two. For Emmanuelle and Toluwalase, this is an award well deserved, and we have no doubt that they will go on to excel in their chosen field and do the continent proud.”
    
Dankwa graduated with First Class Honours in Mathematics and Statistics from the University of Ghana in July 2017, and currently serves as a Teaching Assistant at the Department of Statistics in the same institution. While as an undergraduate, she founded a plastic waste recycling advocacy group, which not only enlightened the university community on the benefits but also was actively involved in collection and removal of plastic waste from the university campus through a partnership with the local government and some plastic recycling firms.
 
Awoyemi graduated from the University of Ibadan (UI) in August 2016 as the Best Medical Student in his set, and was a recipient of 19 prizes at the institution’s convocation ceremony.
   
Rhodes Scholarships cover all university and college fees for Dankwa and Awoyemi, a personal stipend for room and board, health insurance and travel, as well as the costs of the Rhodes Leadership Development Programme at Rhodes House. 

An elated Dankwa, who intends to study Statistical Science in her first year at Oxford, said: “I am deeply honoured to be selected for this prestigious scholarship. It is, indeed, a rare opportunity, and I am determined to make the most of it for my personal advancement and, ultimately, for the betterment of my country and the world in general.”
 
On his part, Awoyemi, who is opting for International Health and Tropical Medicine as his preferred course of study, said: “I am truly grateful to my alma mater for helping me develop into the scholar that I am, and to the Rhodes Trust for the opportunity to further my studied at the University of Oxford. I feel like the entire continent is looking up to me, and I promise to work very hard to maximize this opportunity for my development and for the good of our people.”

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VC laments low enrolment of northerners in tertiary institutions

Prof. Shehu Alhaji Musa

Vice chancellor, Kano University of Science and Technology, Wudil, Prof. Shehu Alhaji Musa has tasked Northern youths to channel their energy towards building a prosperous future rather than pursuing unrealistic goals.Prof. Shehu opined that such disposition suggested that they are incapable of taking up leadership responsibilities.

The vice chancellor, who spoke while receiving award of merit from the Northern Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) also regretted the low academic enrolment of Northerners across higher institutions in the country.

While reminding that no nation can grow beyond its level of education, the first professor of Agricultural Economics from Kano state decried the low number of Northerners who had contributed immensely to the development of the sector.

Prof. Shehu who expressed concern over the high level of illiteracy in the region wondered how millions of youths roaming the street uneducated will take up leadership position in the nearest future.

Although, the outgoing VC lamented the failure of the super rich from the North to invest significantly in the sector, he enjoined the government to do more in the provision of education for the youths in the region.

He lamented that of the about 70 private universities in Nigeria, the region can only boast of less than five, a development he described as worrisome.

“In a situation where a secondary school graduate can not construct simple sentence in the Northern part of the country is disheartening. When you find millions of youth roaming the streets doing nothing, you will wonder if these are the ones that will take the course of building the nation and this why I kept saying we still have along way to go.

Prof. Shehu who cited the budgetary allocation of Oxford University as sufficient enough to cater for total allocation of about five countries in West Africa. He also canvassed improved budgetary allocation to the sector

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TETFund disburses N6.1bn for intervention projects in 198 institutions

Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has disclosed that a total of N6.1 billion was disbursed for various intervention projects in 198 institutions for the month of July 2017.

This was contained in the maiden edition of the agency’s monthly digest magazine, which was formally presented to the public recently in Abuja.Executive Secretary of the Fund, Dr. Abdullahi Bichi Baffa, explained that the publication contained all its intervention projects in universities; polytechnics and colleges of education in the country.

He added that the publication contains the agency multi-billion interventions cutting across research activities, infrastructural projects and scholarships among others.

“This publication contains activities of TETFund in every month of the year; research activities, monitoring of projects, approving of research grants and infrastructural projects. This is to take transparency to a higher level by publishing every projects and amount, we compile them and make them available to the public.”

Speaking at the event, the President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof Biodun Ogunyemi said the publication will allow the union to properly monitor all intervention projects in the universities to ensure expected outcome.

He, however decried the situation where TETFund has become the only source of major projects in tertiary institutions, stressing that ASUU would resist any move to include private institutions as beneficiaries of the Fund.

“TETFund has become the principal or sole pillar of support for all projects in our campuses; universities, polytechnics and colleges of education, and this calls for concerns because TETFund was set up to be an intervention agency.

It should not be the primary source of funding capital projects in tertiary institutions, and now pressures are being mounted to make it an all comers’ affair. Private institutions have begun to lobby arguing that we are all Nigerians and the agency should fund the institutions, including where they are charging fees.”

Highpoint of the event was the presentation of the TETFund monthly digest to guests which include representatives of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) as well as academic staff unions among others.

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Ekweremadu tasks government on vocational education

Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu

Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu has asked the federal and state governments to invest in vocational training and skill acquisition programmes in order to meaningfully engage the youths and reduce the unemployment rate.

Speaking at the inauguration of a vocational training institute, ‘Learn and Work European Vocational School”, Senator Ekweremadu said the unemployment rate had remained high because of the failure of government to come up with progressive and pragmatic strategies to resolving the challenge.

The school is designed to train young people in different skills including web design, plumbing, tailoring/dress making, and home nursing among others. The training is packaged to last for six months or 320 hours after which graduates are presented with
certificates.

The institute, which has Ekweremadu as its promoter is being managed by the CEPU Education Group, Italy.

The lawmaker decried a situation where the nation’s tertiary institutions graduate thousands of ‘unemployable people’ annually, noting that the vocational training school had been packaged to fill the yawning gap in the system.

“It’s really unfortunate that we have engineers, technicians and plumbers that cannot construct or fix anything.”He expressed optimism that the institution would in the next five years effectively address the problem of unemployment as those who pass through the school would not only be meaningfully engaged but their minds taken away from crimes and unnecessary agitations.

According to him, after six months, those who graduate from the institute will be encouraged to access soft loans from the Bank of Industry (BOI) to set up their own businesses in order to become self-reliant and employers of labour.

“We must come to terms with the fact that government alone cannot solve our problems. Civil and public services cannot provide jobs for our teeming populace. We must invest in vocational training otherwise, in the next 50 years, the nation will be in a serious problem,” he said.

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