Rivers
Special Education Intervention Fund Implementation Impresses UBEC
The Executive Secretary, Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr. Hamid Bobboyi, has said he is well pleased with a new paradigm shift in the implementation of the Special Education Intervention Funds in the basic education institutions in Nigeria.
He disclosed this during a two-day interactive meeting of UBEC with UBEB Special Education Desk Officers (SEDOs), State Chairmen, National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), State Delegates, Nigeria Association of Special Education Teachers ( NASETS), and the expected 2020/2021 Special Education Intervention Fund beneficiaries of basic education institutions in Nigeria held at the Board Headquarters in Port Harcourt recently.
Bobboyi, who was represented by the UBEC representative in Rivers State, Mr Isaac Ichenwo, noted that the Federal Government introduced the Special Education Programme and donated 2% of the UBE’s 2% Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) annually for the establishment of Special Education in the country, stated that the overall aim was to equalise educational opportunities for all children, irrespective of their physical, sensory, mental, psychological or emotional disabilities and socio-economic backgrounds.
According to the UBEC scribe, this action by the Federal Government was due to the records which showed that Nigerian children with different categories of disabilities in the basic education was very high.
“We must make deliberate sacrifices and take systematic actions to at least provide basic education individually to these children, especially those within school-going age in both public and private basic institutions”, he said.
He noted that in the last five years that implementation on the Education Intervention Funds was conducted, reports have indicated that efforts are being made to provide education for children with special needs in public and private basic education institutions.
This, he said, includes providing support funds for new constructions, renovation of classrooms, purchase of facilities and equipment amounting to billions of naira.
While noting that the information gathered on the implementation were not in line with the inclusive education implementation framework to justify the resources, he said much more was needed to lead these actions into the attainment of inclusive education objective as envisioned in the National Policy on Education (NPE) “because funding and changes in policies cannot be proficient unless properly directed by the right implementation guidelines”.
The UBEC Scribe expressed optimism that with the experts presented to guide them in the presentation, they “would no doubt demonstrate maximum cooperation in ensuring that the objectives of organising the interactive meeting was well achieved.
“I am convinced that effective inclusive educational system would bring about the implementation of individualized education opportunities for categories of children with disabilities, as well as provide a common learning environment for all learners.
“It will present a clear vision and a well stated mission geared towards achieving exceptional learning performance, including high productivity and innovation among all categories of learners”, he stated.
In her address on behalf of the Executive Chairman of the Board, Ven. Fyneface Akah, at the interactive meeting, the Director, Special Programme, Mrs Flora Timon, welcomed the participants to the “Train the Trainer” workshop and enjoined them to take the training seriously.
“This is the first time in the history of UBEC that beneficiaries of Intervention Funds are being trained”, she noted, and urged them to go back and impact same knowledge to the teachers.
The Rivers state Chief Judge, Justice SIMONE CHIBUZOR-AMADI has given an indication to sanction any lawyer who fail to comply with directive of a judge in the state to transferred a case to Rivers State Multi Door Courthouse for Alternatives Dispute Resolution.
Justice AMADI stated this during a brief ceremony held at the chief judge auditorium in port Harcourt Friday held to hand over certificates of operation to two private ADR chambers on Precarious Dispute Resolution Services and Harmony Arbitration and mediation center .
He urged the two private ADR centres to be diligent in the discharge of their duties and warned against compromising the standard of Alternative Dispute Resolution, ADR but should observed the regulations set out in collaboration regulation by the state Multi Door Court House.
Earlier in a address, the Director of the State Multi Door Courthouse, VICTOR NWEKE esq, highlighted some of the achievements of the Multi Door Courthouse especially in decongestion of court rooms.
NWEKE while disclosing how the department certified the two private ADR centres called for serious punitive measures be taken against any lawyer who fail to comply with a case referred to Multi Door Court House by a judge or magistrates in the state.
In her acceptance speech on behalf of the two certified private ADR centres, ALICE NIMI commended the State Judiciary and Multi Door Courthouse for the approval and assured that all the rules and regulations spelt out will be followed.
In a related development; the Rivers State Judiciary has assured its readiness to collaborate with Nigerian Securityding Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC in using Alternative Dispute Resolution to resolve some of the issues in their office.
The state Chief Judge , Justice SIMONE CHIBUZOR-AMADI made the promise when he received in audience the Zonal Commander of NSCDC, Assistant Commandant General, AYINLA TALYE OLOWO and his team who paid him a courtesy visit in his office , Friday where issuees ADR utilization took centre stage.
He used the opportunity to brief his visitors on the hurdles judges faces daily in the court room and the need for the decongestion of the court room , stressing that one judge handle more than three hundred cases but that if lawyers and litigants adopt ADR practice court rooms can be releive of the daily congestions.
The state Chief Judge however urged NSCDC to ensure a wider sensitization of the members of the public on the practice of ADR for a better awareness and knowledge.
Earlier in his speech, the Zonal Commander of NSCDC, Assistant Commandant General, AYINLA TALYE-OLOWO said the visit was to seek collaboration on the use of ADR in resolving some issues which he insisted would help decongest the courtrooms.
Our correspondent reports officials of the Rivers State Multi Door Courthouse led by the Director, VICTOR NWEKE led the team of NSCDC on a technical session where information on how to the fully in cooperated into the Multi Door Courthouse and operation of ADR will be emphasized.
Akujobi Amadi