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Borno: 300 Private Schools Face Closure Over Accreditation
By Eddy Ovhigbo, Abuja
More than 300 private schools in Borno risk being shut for failure to participate in government’s mandatory accreditation.
Commissioner for Education, Engr. Lawan Wakilbe, told newsmen in Maiduguri on Wednesday, that the exercise became necessary to contain the proliferation and unwholesome activities of some private schools.
He said it was of concern that since the exercise began in 2022 only 266 private schools had complied, out of about 600 of them.
Wakilbe said the ministry, private schools proprietors, the Ministry of Justice and the police would meet on Saturday to warn about the illegality of operating unaccredited schools.
He added that the meeting would also warn about the possibility shutting defaulting schools and the prosecution of their proprietors.
“We may reopen the registration window for a short period for final compliance and that is even after approval must have been obtained from the State Executive Council,’’ the commissioner said.
Wakilbe also told newsmen that Borno was placing high premium on technical and vocational education so as to produce graduates who could become self-employed.
“Out of the 1.8 million out-of-school children we have, a significant number have overgrown regular school cycles.
“A child who was four years old when the Boko Haram insurgency started is now around 15 years old and a person that was 10 years old then is now 20 years old.
“Most of them grew up in Internally Displaced Peoples camps.
“The best way to handle such children is through basic literacy, numeracy and technical skills acquisition so they can pick up their lives,’’ Wakilbe said.
He noted that the technical and vocational schools were so popular that when government went to distribute 450 admission forms at the newly-established vocational centre in Biu Local Government Area, about 5,000 applicants showed up.
Wakilbe said Gov. Babagana Zulum had to approve morning and afternoon sessions for the school among other measures to enable it to accommodate the upsurge of willing students.
`It is the same story at Shani Local Government Area. We are about to commission additional technical and vocational schools at Magumeri and Mafa Local Government Areas,’’ Wakilbe said.
Police Deploy to UniLag Over School Fees Tension
The police command in Lagos State has deployed its men to the University of Lagos (UNILAG) to maintain law and order as students express dissatisfaction with an increase in their school fees.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the deployment on Wednesday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
He said that the policemen were deployed to prevent breakdown of law and order.
“The policemen were only posted to the campus to maintain peace and order.
“They are not meant to restrict movement in and out of the school. People are going in and coming out freely,” he said.
Hundeyin said that the students and the school authorities were discussing the increase in fees and working together to ensure that both parties would be satisfied at the end.
NAN reports that on Aug. 8, the National Association of Nigerian Students Joint Campus Council (NANS JCC), Lagos State Chapter, suspended its planned protest against increase in UNILAG school fees due to intervention by the state Commissioner of Police (CP), Mr Idowu Owohunwa.
According to Hundeyin, the commissioner met with the students’ leaders over the planned protest and assured them that he would meet with the university’s vice-chancellor to discuss their grievances.
“One of the students (name withheld) in the delegation, who is an indigent student, was given a scholarship by the CP throughout his university education.
“Based on this and others, the students’ leaders agreed to suspend the protest,” he said.
OAU Announces Adjusted Fees
The authorities of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, have adjusted the fees that students of the institution would be paying this session.
A statement by the institution’s Public Relations Officer, Mr Abiodun Olarewaju, indicated that fresh students in the Faculties of Arts, Law and Humanities would pay N151,200 while their returning counterparts would pay N89,200.
The statement said that new students in the Faculties of Technology and Science would pay N163,200 while returning students would pay N101,200.
It said that fresh students in the Faculties of the College of Health Sciences and Pharmacy would pay N190,200 while the old students would pay N128,200 respectively.
“The decision was taken by the Senate of the university at its emergency meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 12.
“The management, therefore, wishes the students resounding success in their academic programmes,” he said. (NAN)
From Mike Tayese, Yenagoa
Frontline youth leaders under the auspices of over 60 youth organisations have declared their members will not participate in the rumoured national protest being planned by some persons and groups for October 1 against the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
The president of Nigeria Youth Organization, Duke Alamboye, made the position of the youth leaders known when he led a delegation of representatives of the groups on a courtesy visit to the Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Dr Dennis Otuaro, in Abuja on Thursday.
This was contained in a press release by the Special Assistant on Media to the PAP Administrator, Igoniko Oduma, on Thursday.
The youth bodies include the National Youth Congress, Arewa Youth Council, Yoruba Youth Council, Ohaneze Youth Council, South-South Advocate, Niger Delta Coalition, the Nigeria Nexus, Youth Parliament of Nigeria, Green Africa Youth Initiative, Youth Foundation for Non-Violence in Nigeria, Niger Delta Youth Parliament, National Association of Nigerian Students, and Youth Empowerment for Peace and Security, among others.
Alamboye said that they would work together with a network of other youth groups to ensure that Nigerian youths were not misled into taking part in any ill-advised protest against the government of Tinubu.
He said they would carry out a series of activities in the days ahead, including a world press conference and a youth summit, to sensitize Nigerians on the need to shun any demonstration in the country.
Alamboye urged youths to embrace constructive dialogue and explore available channels of engagement with the government to express their views instead of disrupting the peace and stability of the nation.
He said, “Concerning the state of the nation, we are not unaware of the agitation from certain quarters calling for a nationwide protest on October 1, 2024. It is a protest against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government.
“As youth leaders and lovers of peace and national advancement, the Nigeria Youth Organization would like to inform you of our plan and intention to hold a world press conference on the 23rd of September, 2024, geared towards sensitizing the average Nigerian youth on the need to shun the planned protest.
“We want people to seek dialogue as a better reconciliation tool for venting their grievances. We also hope to organise a summit on October 1 as a follow-up to the world press conference. We anticipate that all well-meaning stakeholders will play vital roles in charting a better cause for our youths.”
The youth leader congratulated Otuaro on his appointment and commended the President for putting a square peg in a square hole through the appointment of Otuaro.
He stressed that they were solidly behind Tinubu and the PAP boss.
Also speaking, Henry Okonkwo of the Ohaneze Youth Council, Tobi Bakare (Yoruba Youth Council), Ifon Daniel (Niger Delta Youth Parliament), and Nasir Lawal (Arewa Youth Council), among others, corroborated Alamboye and expressed support for the president.
Responding, the PAP Administrator praised the youth leaders for dissociating themselves from any planned protest, noting that Tinubu was a youth-friendly leader who had appointed several youths to serve in different capacities in his government.
Otuaro urged them not to allow themselves to be manipulated into unpatriotic activities in the name of protest, as the president needs more time for the benefits of his people-oriented reforms, policies, and programmes to manifest.
While thanking the youth groups for their decision and support for Tinubu, he said, “Mr. President means well for the country. It is reassuring to know that Nigerian youths are with Mr President, who has been in office for a little over a year.
The Nigerian Football Premier League (NPFL) has rescheduled the Day 3 Match of the league between Bendel Insurance FC of Benin and Shooting Stars FC of Ibadan to Oct 2.
The announcement is contained in a letter addressed to the chairmen and general managers of the clubs by the Chief Operating Officer of the league, Davidson Owumi.
The Benin Arsenal were to host the Oluyole Boys as the two clubs are fondly called by their fans, on Sunday.
The match, however, clashed with 2024 off-cycle governorship election in Edo, when vehicular movement is usually restricted. (NAN)
From Attah Ede, Makurdi
Benue Internal Revenue Service (BIRS) has shutdown Oracle Business Ltd, belonging to former Governor Samuel Ortom for allegedly owing taxes to the tune of N93.5m.
The premises of Jagshu and Ubgechi Filling Stations were also shutdown over alleged N2.
1m and N2.1m tax defaults respectively in Makurdi.The tax defaulters operation was carried out at the weekend by the Acting Executive Chairman of Benue Internal Revenue Service, Sunday Odagba in company of the Board’s Secretary/Legal Adviser, Ushahemba Dekaa
The action followed an order from a State High Court sitting in Makurdi which mandated the Board to enforce the consequences of the default.
The BIRS Legal Adviser, Ushahemba Dekaa told journalists after sealing the premises of Oracle Business Ltd that the company defaulted in its obligations for payment of taxes for six years, hence the clamp down.
According to him, the board has been monitoring the tax of the company all these while and the company keep on going back and forth in relation to payment which they failed to do.
He said the board equally organized several meetings and engagements with the companies, yet no compliance even when BIRS were using soft approach to ensure that they paid their taxes and levies but all to no avail.
On his part, the Group Managing Director of Oracle Business, Chris Omiyi argued that the company got letters of tax evaluation totalling N138m. “We sent our tax consultant to them and the liability dropped to N38million.
“Even that amount was spurious but because we are peace-loving we agreed to pay the N38million. But there is still a dispute of N15million which we are to resolve in the office. They fixed a date for the resolution, we got there the people we deal with were not on seat.
“The issue is that you said a company owes tax and we have started paying what you said we owe. Whatever that is in dispute we bring it forward and if it is overruled then we pay that which is in dispute because we have paid all others.”
In his remark the BIRS Acting Chairman, Sunday Odangba stated Oracle Business and other affected companies failed in their obligations.
He explained that the board on several occasions served them demand notices which they did not object and they did not pay.
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