Education
Why RSUST SUG President Was Removed
Acting Vice Chancellor Rivers State University of Science and Technology Nkpolu Port Harcourt, Prof. Blessing Didia (right), presenting souvenir to the State Chairman NUJ, Mr. Ayo Tamuno, during a working visit to the acting vice chancellor recently. Photo: Nwiueh Donatus Ken
Developments surround
ing the recent suspension of the Student Union Government (SUG) President of the Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RSUST), Comrade Wealth Gospel seem to have taken a clearer turn.
The initial feeling of some of the students was that the Acting V ice Chancellor (VC), Professor Blessing Didia, “arranged” the suspension in a bid to install his loyalist.
No sooner had the SUG President been suspended than the students alleged that they started experiencing some vices such as theft and rape in the campus, even in day light.
Some of the students who spoke to The Tide alleged that several of their colleagues, especially females had been raped and their handsets and other valuables, including money taken from them.
They also claimed that the classrooms were gradually becoming unsafe for them because their fellow students, believed to be cultists, came to terrorise them in the classrooms.
When contacted, the VC debunked claims of students being terrorised and all insinuations of a return to the era of cultism in the university, giving his own version of the suspension of the SUG president.
In an exclusive interview in his office, Professor Didia, unequivocally stated that he had no hand in the expulsion of the SUG president.
According to him, he in herited the Executive of the SUG on his appointment on August 1, 2015 and settled down to work with them, only to be approached in October 2015 by other members of the Executive that they had suspended their President.
“That Executive was introduced to me by the former VC (Professor Barineme Fakae). I had no business desolving them under the pretext that I don’t know how they came to be.
“By October 2015, the Executive came to inform me that they had suspended their President. The evidence was there. Following this, I reasoned that there could be crisis if the students go the way they were going”, he said.
The Acting VC explained further that rather than allow things to degenerate into chaos, he urged members of the executive to have a rethink. At the end of the day, they heeded his advice, “and the President knelt down and begged his colleagues that he would turn a new leaf and work closely with them”
But rather than keep to his words, the SUG President went and appointed his own Chief Security Officer (CSO), and a task force, headed by the CSO, which allegedly did some of the things the students stated.
This, Professor Didia said, was in addition to mismanagement of SUG fund for his personal interest, which included empowering of members of his taskforce to the detriment of both students and the school authority.
“Members of the task force snatched phones from students and made the classrooms uncomfortable for learning”, the Acting VC said, adding that when it was verified that those carrying out the acts were insiders, measures were taken to address the situation.
“We hastened our own security system and started arresting them. Right now, they are in police custody. We found out that they were able to do what they did because they were backed by the SUG President. That was the increase in cultism as alleged”, he concluded.
Sogbeba Dokubo
Cross River State Governor, Bassey Otu has inaugurated the newly constituted Governing Councils of the University of Cross River State (UNICROSS) and the University of Education and Entrepreneurship (UEE), Akamkpa.
At the ceremony on Thursday in Calabar, the Governor urged the members to drive institutional excellence, ensure accountability, and align with global best practices.
Governor Otu acknowledged that UNICROSS had long suffered from what many perceived as gross neglect, particularly in terms of physical development.
“After a deep thought and consultation, and having considered all available facts and evidence, I am today opening a new chapter in the relationship between government and its institutions of higher education,” the Governor declared.
He emphasised that while his administration is committed to a renewed focus on higher education, this attention must be matched with transparency and responsibility by the universities’ management.
The same expectation, he said, applies to the University of Education and Entrepreneurship in Akamkpa.
Governor Otu stated that the appointments into both councils and management were carefully considered and reflect the state’s finest minds and seasoned professionals.
“I have taken pains in appointing some of the best that the State has in both the Governing Councils and Management of the institutions. I implore you to apply your wealth of experience in making the institutions world-class,” he charged.
He also stressed the importance of respecting the distinct roles of Councils and management, pointing out that most university problems emanate from role conflict or interference. He tasked each of the councils to stick strictly to its clearly defined functions.
The Governor encouraged council members to leverage their networks to attract new sources of funding and value to their institutions.
“Do not limit yourselves to already known threads of resource sources.”, he said.
Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State has announced a 50 percent reduction in tuition fees for all Kaduna State-owned tertiary institutions, describing it as a major step toward removing barriers to higher education.
Speaking through his Principal Private Secretary, Professor Bello Ayuba, at the inauguration of the Kaduna State University Chapter of the Kaduna State Students Union, the Governor said the policy has made it easier for students from low-income backgrounds to pursue university education in the state.
He expressed gratitude to the students for presenting him with the Sword of Honour Award and for recognising the achievements of his administration, which were highlighted during the event’s public lecture.
He promised, “Government will continue to support students and the youth generally to realize their ambitions. On your part, make sure that an atmosphere of peace prevails to allow for government’s development programmes to run their full course.’’
The Governor advised students not to allow agents of disunity and chaos to use them to destabilize their communities and steer them away from their career goals.
Governor Sani reminded the students and lecturers at the event that ‘’no meaningful development can be achieved in a state of chaos, disunity and mutual mistrust.’’
However, he said that ‘’going by your conduct over the period that I have been at the helm of affairs of our state so far, you are reliable partners of progress and I can count on you every step of the way.’’
The governor recalled that Kaduna State was under siege owing to the insecurity in some of the local government areas, which had dire consequences on agricultural and business activities.
He noted that the security challenges have now been drastically reduced owing to the combined commitment of security agencies, resulting in safer high ways, people returning to farms and the opening of local markets.
120 Oldest Secondary Schools in Nigeria
The governor further said that the Birnin Gwari cattle market which had been closed for over 10 years, has been reopened, so have the other markets in security challenged areas in Giwa local government.
The management of Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic,Rumuola, Port Harcourt, Rivers State has admitted 1,882 fresh students to study various courses and programmes for the 2024)2024 academic session.
This announcement was made by the Rector of the polytechnic, Dr Moses Neebee during the 34th matriculation ceremony of the institution held in Port Harcourt over the weekend.
Dr Neebee described convocation as an annual rituals of every institution used to mark the end of admission process, adding that the polytechnic has recorded some academic milestones and achievements.
According to him, the institution recorded 100 percent in the just concluded NABTE accreditation and resources visitation exercise, adding that all the 24 courses presented by the institution during the accreditation were approved including the almighty Diploma in Law.
According to the admission statistics provided by the Rector,1,510 students were admitted for the National Diploma programmes ,while 372 students were offered admission into the Higher National Diploma and part programmes of the polytechnic.
The Rector while congratulating the matriculants urged them to take their studies seriously and ensure that they pass through the institution and as well allow the institution pass through them and not only in learning but also in character.
“ Let me congratulate you all for your successes to scale through the rigorous hurdles of our admission processes. Take advantage of the various technical and entrepreneur skills in the school to equip your self which will make yourselves employed and be better equipped in the society”, he said.
The Rector warned them to desist from any activities that will jeopardise their academic success, stressing that the school has zero tolerance for cultism, examination malpractices, sorting and sexual abuse.
He used the opportunity to thank the state government for the support given to the school especially in the areas of infrastructure development.