Education
‘ASUU’ll End Strike If’…
As the strike enters its eight-day, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) says it will announce any change in its present resolve only after its National Executive Council (NEC) has duly considered any progress made so far.
The Chairman of ASUU, Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RSUST) Chapter, Dr. Felix Igwe, made this declaration in a Short Message service (SMS) sent to The Tide in Port Harcourt, Sunday.
According to him, “As a member of ASUU NEC, I’m not aware of any meeting called by the union.
However, some parents have expressed worries over Federal government and ASUU meeting that ended in deadlock.
Speaking to The Tide a businessman, Mr. Durum Sunday Nnanna, said it is better for Federal government and ASUU to reach a compromise as soon as possible to enable the students go back to school.
Mr Nnanna cautioned that strike actions should not always arise before Federal government and ASUU can reach agreement to avoid violence and economic backwardness in the country.
Also speaking to our correspondent, a Secondary School teacher, Mrs Hannah Obiekwe, said a nation without human capital development could not flourish in a modern competitive economy.
She, however, advised government to treat members of ASUU with respect and dignity arguing that without them, our children and the nation would have no future.
“If the ASUU is asking for extension of retirement age of lecturers to 70 years, then government should look into that.
“Experience has shown that the more you teach, the more experience you gain and the society taps from this laudable experience of teachers”, she expressed.
A final year student of the Rivers State University of Science and technology, Ikenna George, said ASUU strike is usual and the students feel the impact more.
His words: “Although ASUU is right but strike is bad because it drags us back. We won’t finish when we should”.
He appealed to government to come to the aids of the students by fulfilling the promises reached with ASUU.
A fresh student of Engineering, Cletus Nwaka said although ASUU strike is in students’ favour, but expressed regrets that the strike resumed on that 5th December when lectures would have started in RSUST.
Against speculations that some universities were engaged in academic activities within this zone, a source at the St John’s Campus of the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education (UOE) debunked that.
A visit to both RSUST and UOE showed that classrooms were empty last Friday while the fresh students were involved in their 2011/2012 admission process via ICT centres on campus at RSUST.
A student of Ebonyi State University who spoke to The Tide in Port Harcourt has appealed to the Federal Government and ASUU to take urgent measures towards resolution of the crisis.
Miss Queen Eziulo expressed regrets that the frequent strikes which often disrupt academic calendar had negative impact on the standard of education.
However, our correspondent recalls that the Federal government had appealed to ASUU to call off the strike.
The Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu Rufa’i, while briefing newsmen at the end of a meeting between federal government and ASUU which ended in deadlock noted: “I will still insist and plead again that ASUU has to call off the strike.
“We have already agreed that we will continue to negotiate in terms of ensuring that all the issues at stake will have to be addressed”.
Prof. Rufa’i urged students to be patient and understand the situation in the country.
The Minister assured that the Federal Government was making effort to transform the country and was not pleased with the shortfalls in the Universities.
It would also be recalled that ASUU embarked on an indefinite strike on the 5th of December over the non-implementation of some aspects of its 2009 agreement with the Federal government.
Eunice Choko-Kayode
The Executive Chairman of the Rivers State Universal Basic Education Board, Alabo David Briggs and his Post Primary Schools Board, counterpart, Dr. Sam Emejuru recently embarked on a joint visit to Model Girls Secondary School, Mbodo Aluu in Ikwerre Local Government Arera of Rivers State.
Speaking to newsmen shortly after interacting with the students, Alabo Briggs said both of them were in the school to know how the students are faring, how happy they are, and to also know their areas of need and then take pragmatic decisions that would enhance the wellbeing of the students.
Describing the school as the only boarding school in Rivers State made up of Senior and Junior Secondary, the UBE boss said the visit has actually afforded them the opportunity to know what is lacking in the school, and promised that every machinery would be adequately put in place to ensure that the school is made more attractive and students well taken care of.
He further maintained that the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) and staff of the school must rise to the occasion so as to bring back the lost glory of the school and ensure that the students are treated and well handled like their own children.
Corroborating the UBE boss, Dr. Sam Emejuru of the Post Primary School promised that everything possible would be done to reposition the school, and appealed to all concerned to be patient.
During the visit, the two Board chairmen and their members met with the school authorities wherein issues bordering on the school were discreetly ironed out and some good changes made.
Alabo Briggs also gave cash to some of the students that performed well in the essay competition that took place in Port Harcourt.
The students were also given cartons of sanitary pads to mark the International Day of the Girl Child which was celebrated all over the world recently.
By: Akujobi Amadi
The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) support programme on report writing for Chief Supervisors and Evaluators of the Local Government Areas took place recently at the UBE Board Headquarters in Port Harcourt.
Addressing the participants, the Board member in charge of Supervision/Monitoring, Chief Nwuke Anucha, described the programme as very interesting and educative as it is aimed at broadening the knowledge of the Chief Supervisors and Evaluators on report writing.
While thanking UBEC for the initiative, Chief Anucha also commended the resource persons who came from UBEC Abuja for doing a good job and appealed to the participants to see the support programme on report writing as an opportunity to do better.
Also speaking, the Board member, Project/Technical, Dr. Walson Ominini described the programme as a good one that all the participants must take seriously for the good of Rivers State.
Ominini used the medium to announce the personnel audit for staff of the Local Government Education Authorities in the three Senatorial zones coming up next week at the Board Headquarters adding that any staff of the LGEA who does not take part in the Audit should regard himself or herself as not being a staff of UBE.
In her vote of thanks, the Director, Quality Assurance, Mrs. Nnenna Osumenya thanked UBEC for the programme, and described it as a welcomed development.
She particularly thanked the Executive Chairman of the Board, Alabo David Briggs and the Board members for giving the programme the needed attention.
By: Akujobi Amadi
In cognizance of the value of reading in educational, career and knowledge pursuits, TotalEnergies Joint Venture(JV) Asset has committed itself to instilling the habit in students of secondary schools to enable them succeed in their academic pursuits and become good leaders of tommorow.
This, it is achieving through its Annual Book Reading and Open Day programme.
This year’s event, organised for Senior Secondary Schools in Rivers State,with the theme, ‘The World Is A Maze; Navigate It — Read’ and held at the Event Centre, TotalEnergies Office, PortHarcourt, explored the book, ‘Unexpected Joy At Dawn’ by Ghanaian author, Alex Agyei Agyiri.
Participating schools chosen across Port Harcourt included Government Technical College, PortHarcourt; Bishop Crowther Memorial Secondary School, Rumuobiakani; Oginigba Comprehensive Secondary School; Community Secondary School, Rumuomasi, and Hilltop Prime International College.
Others were Community Secondary School, Amadi-Ama; Government Senior Secondary School, Elekahia; Community Secondary School, Nkpogu; Dietams International Schools; and Community Secondary School, Abuloma.
In his address, the Deputy Managing Director, Joint Venture Asset, TotalEnergies EP, Nigeria Limited, Olivier Cassassoles, said reading habit remains a major essential needed for life’s development in information, direction and character building, and stressed the need for the students, many of whom he said would grow to become leaders to cultivate and sustain the culture.
Cassassoles, who was represented by the Executive Director, JV Asset, PortHarcourt, Obi Imemba, quoted former American President, Barack Obama’s words, “reading is the gateway skill that makes all other learning possible” and stated that “this clearly aligns with the theme of the day and implies that in order to successfully navigate the complexities of life, one needs to read”.
Cassassoles said “as students, many of you will grow to be leaders and leaders need a lot of information to stay relevant. The books you read will shape your future and through them you will find wisdom to make a difference”.
According to him, the book reading event is one that the company holds dear to heart as it promotes the culture of reading among students in Nigeria.
While encouraging the students to make conscientious effort to research good books with themes and characters that align with what they intend to do in future, Cassassoles expressed the hope that the students would commit themselves to a life of reading, adding that “I expect that you will be leaving here with a clearer idea of the career path you want to pursue “.
Also speaking, the State Commissioner for Education, Dr Ovy Chinedum Chukwuma, described this year’s theme as ‘most appropriate’ at a time when students have abandoned the text book for not only the phone – Whatsapp, Twitter etcetera but other vices.
Represented by the Technical Adviser to the Commissioner, Dr Joy Nwamaka Joseph, Chukwuma noted that reading is an effective tool for engaging students in critical thinking, saying “a student that reads focuses attention on the task at hand, immersing them in information and improving his/her concentration and memory”, insisting that students must read in order to navigate this maze-like world successfully.
The Commissioner commended TotalEnergies for “always seeking to improve the educational standards of our pupils, students, under/post graduates in our institutions and for inspiring them to develop the habit of reading as a life style”.
Earlier, the Country Communications Manager, TotalEnergies, Charles Ebereonwu, revealed that the annual reading event is part of the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR) targeted at making the best of future leaders.
In his closing remarks, the Special Adviser, People and Talent Management, TotalEnergies EP Nigeria Limited, Samuel Nkwo, lauded the students for going beyond reading the book to taking lessons there from.
“What has happened here today has given us encouragement that this is a good thing to do and that we should continue to do it” Nkwo said.
Highlights of the event included reading and discussion of the book, ‘Unexpected Joy At Dawn’, questions and answers session and presentation of gift items including school bags, solar lamps, books among others to the students.
By: Lady Godknows Ogbulu