Rivers
VC Charges Staff Against Academic Fraud …Says Academic Calendar’ll Run Full Course
Acting Vice Chancellor of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education (IAUE), Prof Okechukwu Onuchuku, has advised staff of the university to shun academic fraud and like vices.
Giving the charge to the academic staff recently when he met with them at the university auditorium, Onuckuku told them to desist from asking students for unnecessary gratifications.
“Do the work you are paid for by teaching and thoroughly supervising the students without attaching monetary value to chapters of project works and examination scores of these students”, he admonished.
Onuchukwu disclosed that the University, in collaboration with security agencies, is set to monitor and expose those found guilty.
He, however, appealed to lecturers who, on the other hand, are enticed by these students to resist such temptation and report the students involved.
Onuckuku further advised staff to work towards accessing N96,000,000.00 TEtfund for conferences, research grants, and book publications.
He said he is willing to approve good proposals that staff can come up with to access the funds.
The Acting VC also encouraged staff to engage in consultancy services, adding that these available avenues of making extra money would help staff live above board.
He intimated staff of the forthcoming accreditation exercise for nine programmes of the University, saying that “all hands must be on deck to ensure full accreditation status for the departments to relax in the next five years”.
He solicited the support of staff in departments and faculties, urging them not to create problems for themselves.
Prof. Onuckuku, who announced that staff were in the university by divine intervention, expressed displeasure at what he called “the level of acrimony, and wickedness in some departments”.
He expressed wonder over why some derive joy in setting up colleagues, asking if perpetrators would receive the salary of the staff if they succeed in pulling them down or prevent their growth in the departments.
He, therefore, urged staff to “forgive one another, work together as brothers, help each other grow in the system, and not to act as lords or suppress others as it is not the best way to live life”.
Onuckuku used the fora to remind all that he was “in the system to provide administrative and academic leadership, transform and make the place better for all to be proud of, and not to entertain petition writing, gossips, chase or pursue people around.”
On promotion of staff, he stated that assessment forms would be sent out for those qualified to apply.
Meanwhile, the Acting Vice Chancellor of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education (IAUE), Prof Okechuku Onuchuku, says the university’s academic calendar would run its full course.
Speaking on Friday, while fielding questions from teaching staff, he explained that the flood incidence experienced in parts of the Niger Delta region is a natural phenomenon with no time frame of cessation.
He said postgraduate students who could not right their examination on the scheduled date (Monday, October 17, 2022) who were unable to write it on the slated date would be given supplementary examination.
He also urged those affected by the natural disaster to concentrate on being alive and not to think of the examination, assuring that the university authority is aware of their situation.
In a vote of thanks, the Director, Administration, Vice Chancellor’s Office, Mr Donald Okogbaa, who is also in charge of the Registry Department, expressed appreciation to the Acting VC for the information.
The forum provided opportunity for staff to ask questions, make valuable contributions, give advice and encouragement to the leadership.
By: Sogbeba Dokubo
The Rivers State Chief Judge, Justice Simeon Chibuzor Amadi, says the state judiciary has a total of 23,870 cases pending in various courts in the State.
This figure includes all cases pending in Magistrate, High, and Customary Courts, as well as Customary Court of Appeal in the State.
Justice Amadi stated this while presiding over a special court session held to mark the comencement of the 2024/2025 new legal year held at the auditorium of the High Court in Port Harcourt, Thursday.
The State Chief Judge, while giving the breakdown of performances by the Judiciary in the last year ended, revealed that the stastics of the cases brought before the courts from October 30, 2023 to 30th September 2024 is 31,886, while cases filed stood at 14,791 and cases disposed in the period under review is 22,725.
He further disclosed that the State Judiciary and the customary courts generated a total of #525,322,478,83 as revenue in the last judiciary year under review.
He described the special court session as an annual ritual of the judiciary marked to herald the beginning of a new legal year, stressing that it affords the judiciary and all stakeholders the needed opportunity to take stock of the activities of the judiciary in the past one year in order to improve, with a view to strengthening the justice administration.
The number one state judiciary officer stated that the judiciary had undertaken a lot of capital infrastructure in the year ended to ensure the comfortablility of the workers and judicial officers, and announced that additional high courts would be constructed at Okehi and Degema to ease the challenges of numerous cases coming from such jurisdictions.
Justice Amadi further disclosed that the state judiciary has a total of 51 judges, 57 magistrates, 30 Chairmen of customary courts, and 60 presiding members, adding that the state judiciary has 12 judicial Divisions, 37 magisterial Districts, and 30 customary courts.
“We lost seven judiciary staff, Port Harcourt NBA lost 16, Okehi branch 1, Bori branch 2, and Ahoada branch 2 . Creation of a judicial Division is based on cases filed from such area and we recommend for approval of such and not for politically based”, he stated.
The State Chief Judge used the opportunity to thank the State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, for the support given to the judiciary in the state, noting that the success recorded by the judiciary in the state was attributed to the huge support from the State Governor.
He also appreciated the efforts of the security agencies and the media for their various cooperation and support and urged them to sustain such in this legal year .
In their various speeches at the event, the State Attorney General and Commissoner of Justice, Dagogo Isreal-Ibroma, SAN; the Leader of the body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Rivers State, OCJ Okocha, SAN; and the Chairman of NBA, Port Harcourt Branch, Mrs. Eke Cordelia, commended the achievements recorded by the state judiciary and urged that more measures be put in place to enhance speedy dispensation of justice.
The special court session was preceded by a church service.
By: Akujobi Amadi
A religious body in Rivers State, the House of Jesus Christ Ministries, has appealed to the warring politicians in the State to stop the orgy of violence over leadership supremacy and embrace genuine dialogue.
This is contained in a recent statement by the Parish Church Council (PCC) meeting of the church.
The statement, which was signed by the General Overseer, Apostle Joseph Emmanuel; Secretary, Evangelist ThankGod Akpanowoh; Parish Women Leader, Mrs. Promise Aniebet William; and Parish Evangelist, Elder Aniefiok Benneth, noted that the spate of violence witnessed across the state has taken unimaginable dimensions with the recent killings, wanton destruction of properties, and the burning down of Council Secretariats.
It said if care is not taken, the crisis could extend to homes, and therefore called on the warring parties to stop and gove room for a lasting solution.
Blaming the Federal Government under the watch of President Bola Tinubu, who it said had been seemingly passive in handling the political difference between the former Governor of the State and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike and his successor, Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
“The kind of crisis we are seeing cannot be rationalised. Whether in Rivers or Lagos, whether we are talking of state violence of political upheavals rocking the state, we plead as a church with the contending politicians to pull back their hatchets of indifference for the sake of peace, unity, stability and progress, and allow the possibility of genuine dialogue to begin, and lasting peace restored”, the church said.
Noting that the xurrent wind of democracy blowing in the state is one of the legacies of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and others who preach peace, love and development in the state, the Church cautioned against further crises “in the once peaceful state for posterity”.
It urged the current politicians in the country to emulate the peaceful disposition and virtues of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, which is instrumental to the prevailing peace in the state, in the face of continued provocations.
By: Bethel Toby
Rivers State has topped the performance chart in the implementation of the Nigerian Community Action Resilience And Economic stimulus (NG -CARES) programme in the South-South and Nigeria.
This was contained in a report released at the just-concluded two-day peer learning and experience sharing event in Port Harcourt.
According to the report, Rivers State performed excellently in all aspects of the programme implementation.
The state was followed by Delta State, which emerged second both in the South-South and the country at large.
Meanwhile, the World Bank has approved an additional $500million for the extension of the programme for the next three years.
World Bank Task Team leader, Dr.Lire Ersado, said at the event that the programme has lived up to expectations as it has gone along way to alleviate the sufferings of millions of poor and vulnerable Nigerians.
Ersado, who was represented by Professor Folorusho Okumadewa, said NG CARES has gotten the right strategies and approach in making sure that poor and vulnerable Nigerians can smile.
He said the programme, which was initially setup to address suffering caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, is even more relevant today with a view to addressing the plights of Nigerians affected by flood and other natural disasters.
Ersado said the Port Harcourt meeting, which is the sixth in the series of meetings held across the country, will provide opportunity for all states in the country to cross check their performances with each, as well as learn from the successes and failures of each other.
Also speaking, Rivers State Commissioner for Commerce And Industry, Barrister John Otamiri, said the programme was in line with the State Government programme of alleviating the sufferings of the people.
He also said the government is ready to partner with NG CARES to alleviate the sufferings of the poor and vulnerable in the society.
Otamiri said also assures that Rivers State is safe for investment.
While reeling out its performances, National Coordinator, NG CARES, Dr. Abdulkarim Obaje, said the world Bank is passionate about the programme , adding that the bank has graciously extended the programme for another three years with an additional $500 million.
He said within the last three years $750 million was disbursed to the 36 states and FCT in 160 delivery platforms.
Obaje added that 9.2 million poor and vulnerable Nigerians also benefited from the programme across the country in the last three years.
Earlier, Rivers State Coordinator, RiV CARES, Mrs. Ephraim George Imaonyani, commended the delegates for choosing Rivers State for the South-South meeting.
By; John Bibor
