Education
FCTA Suspends Teachers Over Sexual Molestation of Blind Students
By Laide Akinboade, Abuja
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), has suspended two teachers of the FCT School for the Blind, Jabi, for alleged molestation of some female students of the school.
A visibly angry Permanent Secretary of the FCTA, Sir Chinyeaka Ohaa, who paid an unscheduled visit to the school, following reports of incidences of molestation of some female students by teachers, directed the immediate suspension of the accused teachers, Mr.
Ilo Chukwuma and Mr Ebenezer Olateju, pending the conclusion of investigations on the matter.The Permanent Secretary also directed that Chukwuma, who was accommodated in the school’s residential quarters, vacates the school within the week, stressing that both teachers should steer clear of the school premises as investigations continue.
He further directed the Director of Security Services in the FCTA, Mr. Adamu Gwary to ensure full compliance and implementation of the directive.
While addressing the issue of alleged rape of a student against Olateju, Ohaa pointed out that the image of the country and the FCTA was at stake.
According to him, “While we are working round the clock to give every physically challenged student the best of education, we cannot have incidences as this mar our progress and achievements.”
On why the teachers were suspended instead of being dismissed immediately, the Permanent Secretary said, “We want to be fair and follow due process. So, we will allow the committee do its work and report by next week. But let me assure parents that anyone found culpable in any of these incidences, not only in this school, will be dismissed and prosecuted.
Our teachers, like Caesar’s wife, must be above board.”
Ohaa expressed disgust over the actions of the accused teachers as he listened to victims narrate their ordeals.
He lamented that teachers who are supposed to be protectors are now the students’ nightmare.
“We cannot allow this kind of behaviour to continue. These children more or less are helpless and they depend on teachers here.
They have confidence and trust in you, that you will protect them from immorality and even outside invasion and you turn to be the person they are now afraid of. As a government we cannot just fold our arms”, he said.
One of the Victims disclosed that the accused, Chukwuma, had touched her inappropriately while they were in the school bus on an excursion to Kwali two weeks ago.
Another victim also claimed the accused had always singled her out to berate after she had indicated that she would not condone his inappropriate action.
Addressing the Permanent Secretary and management staff of the Universal Basic Education Board who accompanied the Permanent Secretary on the visit, the school’s Head Teacher, Abdulrazaq Suraju Ademola, explained that already, a committee had been set up to investigate the issue and the report had been forwarded to the Secretary of the Local
Education Authority for onward transmission to the FCT UBEB.
Also speaking, the Chairman, FCT UBEB, Dr Kabir Matazu, said that the directives of the Permanent Secretary were already being implemented.
He also said that a note of warning had been sounded to all school heads that such behaviour will not be condoned in FCT schools and they will henceforth be held liable if such incidences occurred.
From Ene Asuquo, Calabar
The Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Prof. Florence Obi has promised that she would do everything humanly possible to ensure that the ongoing crisis in the institution’s Department of Dentistry, is resolved.
Prof.
Obi made the promise in Calabar during a press briefing, stressing that she will resolve the crisis before leaving office.She explained that the problem predates her administration, and pledged to intensify efforts to rectify the crisis.
She added that the crisis was as a result of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN)’s refusal to induct 2016 Dentistry students of the institution.She also debunked claims circulating on social media that the institution’s Dentistry programme has lost its accreditation, describing the reports as “misinformation and distortion of facts,” clarifying that the programme remains fully accredited and no students have been directed to transfer to other universities.
“At no point did the University ask Dentistry students to seek transfers to other institutions, nor were they advised to ‘go and learn a trade’ as falsely alleged online,” the VC stated.
“I will feel very bad if I leave without solving this problem and the students are left hanging without knowing their fate. I won’t be fulfilled,” she said.
She reaffirmed the University’s commitment to ensuring all Dentistry students graduate and are duly licensed as dental surgeons.
She noted that the Dentistry programme commenced in the 2013/2014 academic session, and in November 2019, the University secured pre-clinical accreditation from the MDCN and full clinical accreditation was subsequently granted in December 2022.
The VC added that the university’s synergy and partnership with the Minister of Education and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to upgrade its facilities.
“All we asked for is time to engage with other institutions, update the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), and follow through on due processes,” she noted.
Speaking further, Obi said that some of the affected students demanded to be transferred to the Department of Medicine and Surgery but said it was not the solution as the department was already saturated.
She urged the affected students to remain calm, noting that the university was doing everything possible to resolve the issues before the end of her tenure.
From Abdullahi Abubakar, Ilorin
The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Kwara State Wing has restated its commitment to strengthening the professional growth of teachers across the State, to enhance the quality of education delivered in public schools. Speaking at the opening of a three-day capacity-building workshop in Ilorin, the State Chairman of the Union, Comrade Yusuf Wahab Agboola, noted that continuous training of teachers remains a vital component of educational reform and improved classroom delivery.
The training, organised in collaboration with the NUT National Secretariat, is targeted at selected teachers and focuses on the “Study Circle Conveners’ Model”—a grassroots strategy for enhancing peer-to-peer learning and participatory leadership within the education sector.
Comrade Agboola explained that the workshop aims to equip teachers with practical skills in collaborative learning, peer engagement, and innovative teaching practices. He expressed optimism that the training would promote professional bonding among teachers and foster collective solutions to challenges facing the education sector.Also speaking at the event, the National Coordinator of the NUT Study Circle Project, Comrade Solomon Igbelowowa, traced the initiative’s roots to 1985 when it was introduced in Nigeria by the Swedish Teachers Association, having recorded success in Sweden and other parts of the world. He commended the Nigerian Union of Teachers for sustaining the project over the years and urged participants to engage fully and make the most of the training opportunity.
The workshop was officially declared open by the National President of the NUT, Audu Amba, who was represented by the 3rd National Vice President, Bashir Oyewo.
He encouraged teachers to approach the sessions with dedication and punctuality.
By Tony Obiechina Abuja
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has fixed 150 as the minimum cut-off mark for admission into Nigerian universities for the 2025/2026 academic session.
The decision was reached on Tuesday during the 2025 Policy Meeting on Admissions, held at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja, with stakeholders from various tertiary institutions in attendance.
According to JAMB, 140 was approved as the minimum score for colleges of nursing sciences, while polytechnics, colleges of education, and colleges of agriculture will admit candidates with a minimum score of 100.
“The minimum admissible scores for admissions for the next academic session have been fixed at 150 for universities, 100 for polytechnics, 100 for colleges of education, and 140 for colleges of nursing sciences by the stakeholders (Heads of Tertiary Institutions),” JAMB announced via its official X account.
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