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Parents Want Commissioner’s Removal Over School’s Poor State

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Parents whose wards are pupils of the Family Support Nursery/Primary school along parliamentary road in Calabar municipality recently staged a peaceful protest calling for the resignation of the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs. Edak Iwuchukwu, over the neglect of the school by the ministry.

Their protest was based on allegation of embezzlement of funds, lack of infrastructural development, increase in school fees and complete poor management.

They also accused the Commissioner of introducing several levies ranging from N500 development fee, N500 examination fee, N1000 sports equipment, N500 sanitation and N500 for damages without consulting the Parents’ Teachers Association (PTA).

However, they said, “having paid all these levies, the money was not used for any of the services mentioned above while children who were to leave the school were denied graduation at the end of their school year. This is the first time we parents are experiencing this in this school. The former commissioner was not like this.”They accused the Commissioner also of plotting to sale off the school to herself against the dream of the founding fathers.

Parents numbering over 200 said they were protesting when the school Headmaster refused our wards their terminal results and an end of term get together which had been paid for since the first term.

However, following their protest, the commissioner invited the Headmaster and released funds the next day for the ceremony but most angry parents still said they were not satisfied with the management of the school.

Established since 1996, the school is said to be the brain child of the late Marian Babangida with the intention to support poor parents who are unable to send their children to school.

With a population of over 1000 then, the enrolment has reduced to a mere 300 as of today with teachers being owned arrears of salaries.

In an interview with a parent, Mr. Okon E. Okon with three of his kids in the school said “development in the school during the tenure of the present commissioner the school has been killed and buried. He said for three terms running, no results have been released by the school to parents.”

Another parent, Mr. Sunday Joshua also with three kids said that “parents were ready to withdraw their wards if the situation continues to deteriorate. He said the school has continued to witness large exodus of children because of poor facilities and management of the school. It is better off some years back which attracted us to bring our wards here.”

Earlier, the School headmaster, Mr. Emmanuel Agom in his reaction, said “all fees and levies meant for the school were paid into the banks and I only get money when approval comes from the Ministry.”

According to him, “I am still expecting the release of funds to organise an end of year party and send off for pupils in the school and whenever approval comes I will call parents and pupils for the function.”

In her reaction, the Commissioner, Mrs. Iwuchukwu, told Dossier that one third of pupils in the school owed school fees and it was not therefore possible to meet all the demands of the school/parents.

While apologising to parents, she promised that come September 2013, new structures will be erected in the school along with other amenities to decongest classrooms and bring in other facilities.

She said the call for her to resign was ill conceived as running of the activities in the school were handled by a constituted management and that was only one small unit of her schedule of duty, adding that “I was not appointed to come and run a school.”

The commissioner said further that with a monthly imprest of N60, 000 for the headmaster to handle sanitation matter and wondered why parents should complain. She advised parents to note that the school should be seen as a revenue earner for government and not a philanthropic institution.

She advised them to take away their wards to other schools if they do not feel satisfied with the handling of the day to day activities in the school.

She said that she had directed the school headmaster to publish the names of all children who owed school fees so as to refuse them further participation.

Some of the teachers interviewed told the Dossier that they were still on casual appointment and their salaries not at par with others in government circle as the school is run by the Ministry of women affairs.

This ugly development, it was gathered has not encouraged them adding that “prompt payment of our wages as at when due will go a long way to return the school back to its lost glory.”

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Education

Oyo Subeb Recruits More Teachers For Primary, Junior Secondary Schools

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The Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board has released the names of 5,600 newly recruited primary school teachers and 80 caregivers in the State.
The SUBEB Chairman, Nureni Adeniran, who announced this in Ibadan, the state capital, on Friday, explained that the list had been duly approved by the state Governor, Seyi Makinde.
“The newly appointed teachers and caregivers are the first batch of successful applicants from the recent recruitment exercise carried out by the board,” he said.
“The list will be uploaded on the portal and will be available for candidates to check  their names from the portal.

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Education

Corruption In Governance: Don Advocates Traditional Values Promotion

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A Professor of Accountancy in the Department  of Accounting , Faculty of Administration and Management, Rivers State University, Prof Lawyer Chukwumah Obara has advocated the adoption of African traditional values as a managerial tool to eradicate systemic corruption and mismanagement of public funds in governance.
According to him , the use of such African traditional methods like shrine oath-taking by public servants will deter such public officials from misappropriation of public funds while in office. He said accounting system is evolutionary science that recognises the practice of some pragmatic ideological practices such as African norms and values to fight corruption and mismanagement of funds that is predominantly noticed in both public and private governance.
Prof Obara stated this while delivering his inaugural lecture at the 106th inaugural lecture series of the state university  with the topic, “Pragmatic Ideologies and Visionary Accounting: Reinforcing the Helmet, “ held at the Senate auditorium,last Wednesday.
He noted that all the 36  States including the Federal Capital Territory in the country can convinently survive without any federal allocation if they embrace pragmatic ideological accounting systems that are visionary  accounting methods.
“Every State must adopt pragmatic approaches in their accounting system,there should be accountability and transparency, ,we must be flexible in our Constitution as constitutional rigidity is bane of the growth of the nation and we must go back to our root , traditional values and that will promote wonderful accounting system and the world will celebrate us,”he stated.
The erudite scholar noted that Accounting science helmet provides a safety umbrella to shade RAIR from shady accounting practices and can serve as both protective measure and forward looking.
Mr Vice Chancellor,in the foregoing senses, reinforcement can increase the probability that the accounting’ behaviour will occur again in similar situations.This implies that reinforcing the helmet is a powerful tool in shaping accountants behaviour, learning and development and this can lead to more effective strategies in accounting therapy and everyday interactions”,he stated.
The lecture examined  the evolution of philosophical thought in accounting, notion of pragmatic ideologies in accounting, visionary accounting paradigm , transparency , differences and similarities,the helmet metaphor : balancing protection progress.
He posisted that accounting plays vital role in the socio-economic development of nations , stressing that Accounting is the instrument for financial management , transparency, and resource allocation.
“Over the years ,the accounting system has undergone significant  transformations influenced by historical developments , regulatory reforms, and the adoption of global standards which serve as the helmet reinforcing and protecting socio_economic development.”
Reinforcement is a fundamental concept in behavioral psychology and learning theory, particularly in the context of operant conditioning. it refers to any stimulus or event that increases the likelihood of a behaviour being repeated in the future.It can be understood as a mechanism that encourages certain behaviors through rewards or consequences,”he stated.
In concluding, Prof Obara stated that Nigeria’s economic landscape demands an accounting profession that is both pragmatic and visionary .
Earlier in his speech,the Vice Chancellor of the university Prof Nlerum Sunday Okogbule represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Administration, Prof Victor Akujuru the lecture said is valuable  and is capable to advancing the   growth and development of any society if adopted, even as he commended the lecturer for a thoughtful and impacted inaugural lecture.

By: Akujobi Amadi

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RSUBEB Officials Visit Riverine Schools In Abua /Odual

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A  team  of board members and directors of the Rivers State Universal Basic Education Board led by  Member in charge of Supervision / Monitoring, Chief Nwuke Anucha  visited Ogboloma,a riverine community in Abua/Odual Local Government Area of the State to inspect a six classroom block built single handedly by the community recently.
Speaking at the King’s palace shortly after inspecting the building and facilities in the school, Chief Anucha, who represented the board chairman, Alabo David Briggs, commended the people of Ogboloma for remaining united and working in synergy for the good of the community and the younger generation.
While assuring them that the board chairman would surely be briefed on the effort so far made by the community in encouraging education in the area, Anucha expressed optimism that he (Briggs) will not hesitate to give his approval for the school to kick off and called on the people to see education as the responsibility of all.
He used the medium to thank the King of Ogboloma His Highness Micah Brother, the councilor, Hon. Thomas Carlson; CDC Chairman, Lucky Brave Egba, Chiefs and elders and youths for working in synergy for the progress of community.
Also speaking, the board member in charge of projects Dr. Walson Ominini lauded the people for promoting education in the area, assuring them that their effort will not be in vain.
Earlier in his speech, the King of Ogboloma, His King Micah Brother thanked the bfor finding time to visit the community, pointing out that the six classroom block was the singular effort of the community and appealed to the board chairman to give approval for the school to kick off.
The King who spoke through the councillor representing the area, Hon. Thomas Carlson narrated how children in the community are trekking long distances to neighbouring communities in search of quality education and sometimes would be bitten by snakes called on the board to come to their aid as government presence is not in any way felt in the community.
The chiefs also spoke, thanking the board officers for coming to see things for themselves.

By: Akujobi Amadi

 

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