Education
Benue Teaching Service Board Boss Resigns Appointment
From Vincent Nyiyongu, Makurdi
Executive Secretary, Benue State Teaching Service Board, Prof Wilfred Uji has resigned his appointment with the board.
Uji who announced his resignation Thursday in Makurdi the Benue capital stated he couldn’t continue to work in a system without a strategic plan of development for the state.
Uji averred that it was disheartening that the kind of politics played in this part of Nigeria was based on the constant drive for primitive accumulation without developmental drive to transform society.
He said he was taken aback when he was neither given a task to fulfill nor asked about his plan to transform the secondary school sub-sector at assumption of duty.
“on my first assumption as the Executive Secretary of the State Teaching Service Board, I was rather taken aback. The one who hired me never asked me what’s your plan to transform the secondary school sector, I was oblivious of the fact that I would have to run to Directors in the bureaucracy to achieve certain goals.
What was the mandate, duties and responsibility of the office to which I was appointed to were clouded in mystery this does not mean that specific provisions of the law did not define such responsibilities but simply the bureaucracy manipulated the process for personal gains. What existed was a dictatorship of the bureaucracy factored in Permanent secretaries and Commissioner”, he expressed.
According to the Chief Scribe, his effort in trying to make up something and deliver on his mandate was mate with stiff bureaucracy created deliberately to frustrate him and make his effort unnoticed. To worsen it all, the Governor does not take briefs directly from Executive Secretary leaving him on the mercy of the commissioner.
“I’m a victim of the dictatorship of the bureaucracy though the bureaucracy in itself is not evil. Perhaps I can say the politicisation of the bureaucracy in the game of power struggle”.
Uji who expressed readiness to publish his four years stewardship at the board said what he saw while in office was totally at variant with his belief in the principles of public accountability, which is rare in this part of Nigeria.
While expressing appreciation to the government of Benue State to have given him the opportunity to serve the good people of State, Uji said, however, that he was a stranger but now knows better.
Meanwhile, Benue State Government, in a statement, signed by the Permanent Secretary, General Services, Office of the Head of Service, Ukeyima Gbileve has accepted the resignation of the erstwhile TSB Boss, Dr. Uji.
The statement appreciated Dr. Uji for the service rendered while he held sway at the board and wish him well in his future endeavours.
Education
NECO Reschedules 2024 Common Entrance Exam into Unity Colleges
The National Examinations Council (NECO) has re-scheduled the 2024 National Common Entrance Examination into Federal Unity Colleges and the entrance examination into Federal Government Academy, Suleja.
This is contained in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday by Azeez Sani, acting Director, Information and Digital Communication of the council.
Sani stated that the common entrance examination earlier scheduled for April 20, 2024, would now hold on June 1, 2024.
He also said that the entrance examination for Gifted and Talented Children into Federal Government Academy, Suleja, earlier scheduled to hold on May 4,
2024 would now hold on May 25, 2024.
He added that the rescheduling of the two examinations was due to low enrollment of candidates.
He enjoined candidates, parents, guardians, schools and relevant stakeholders to take note of the new dates.
Sani said that registration of candidates would continue till the new dates of the examinations. (NAN)
Education
Six Nigerian Universities to Benefit from EU’s €27m Funding
By Eddy Ochigbo
No fewer than six Nigerian Universities have been selected to benefit from the 15 Intra-Africa Mobility Scheme Projects funded by the European Union (EU) with €27 million under the flagship Youth Mobility for Africa.
Permanent Secretary, of the Federal Ministry of Education, Mrs.
Didi Walson-Jack, who signed the agreement at the Global Gateway High-Level Event on Education in Brussels, said Nigeria would also benefit from the regional Team Europe Initiative on Opportunity-driven Skills, Vocational Education and Training in AfricaUnder the initiative, the European Union would spend €27 million, allocating €1.
8 million to each of the Projects in the education and healthcare sectors in Africa.These Projects, which are to be facilitated by various Universities, aim to enhance learning mobility opportunities for Students, Trainees, and Staff across the Continent, focusing on developing high-level green and digital skills.
The participating Universities include the University of Lagos, the University of Port-Harcourt, Ebonyi State University, the Federal University of Technology, and the University of Nigeria.
Education
UTME: Police, JAMB Warn Candidates Against Patronising Fake Websitess
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and the police have warned candidates preparing for the 2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) against patronising fake websites.
The two bodies gave the warning at a joint news conference in Abuja on Saturday.
The Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said there were several fake websites created by unscrupulous individuals with the intention of misleading candidates.
He urged candidates to be wary of their tactics, saying the fake web sites were designed to deceive innocent candidates into providing personal details such as registration numbers, email addresses, and phone numbers.
“Both JAMB and the Nigeria Police Force condemn these fraudulent activities and hereby reiterate the readiness to safeguard the interests of candidates and maintain the integrity of the examination process.
“We urge parents, guardians, and all stakeholders to ensure that candidates print their UTME Notification Slips only from the Board’s approved website: www.jamb.gov.ng.
“Candidates can print their slips from the comfort of their homes or visit any of the over 700 accredited Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres nationwide,” he said.
Adejobi explained that the force was familiar with the tactics employed by fraudsters, especially during the annual assessment and admission exercises.
He, therefore, said that both organisations was actively sensitising candidates and the public about these deceptive practices.
“Any candidate who visits these fake sites will definitely have unreliable information and thereby miss out in the forthcoming exams.
“Candidates are advised to print their UTME Notification Slips before Friday, 19th April, 2024, to access vital information about their examinations.
“Any website other than www.jamb.gov.ng offering UTME slip printing services is fake and designed to defraud candidates,” he said.
He also called on candidates to beware of web sites offering ‘live’ questions and answers, as they were false and deceptive, saying that accessing such materials was prohibited.
He further said the board was partnering with the Nigeria Police Force National Cyber Crime Centre (NPF-NCCC) to address online scam-related issues seamlessly.
He assured candidates and the public of the force firm dedication to ensuring a fair and transparent examination process.
He also stressed that the Inspector General of Police had ordered the NPF-NCCC to go after scammers and fraudsters who engage in cyber related crimes and create phishing sites/portals.
On his part, the JAMB spokesperson, Dr Fabian Benjamin, pledged the Board’s commitment to continue in playing its role
He, therefore, urged candidates to ignore any unsolicited messages noting that they were from elements who aim at defrauding candidates.
The 2024 UTME is scheduled to commence on Friday, April 19, and end on April 29. (NAN)