NEWS
Graduation: Pray, be Close to your Children, Principal urges Parents
The Director/Principal, Queen’s College Lagos, Dr (Mrs) Tokunbo Yakubu-Oyinloye, has urged parents to be prayerful and close to their children, especially in the face of the social media influence.
Yakubu-Oyinloye gave the advice in an interview on the sidelines of the institution’s Speech and Prize Giving Day ceremony on Thursday in Lagos.
According to her, there is need for parents to step up efforts in inculcating the right moral values in their children, as the school cannot do it alone.
“Today, we are having our speech and prize giving day, a day to reward and honour our staff and students, to reward hard work, diligence and excellence.
“We are also looking at our students, those who performed well academically.
“We are not just looking at that, we are looking at other values. We have prizes for the most well behaved student, neatest student, most caring and even most improved student.
“For instance, If you were getting 20 per cent before and suddenly you now get 60 per cent, that means you have improved.
“We are also looking at our staff. We have some who go the extra mile, some dedicated and hard working. We are recognising all of these persons and rewarding them as well,” she said.
She called on our parents to strive hard to live up to their up to responsibilities by creating enough time for their children, given the influence of the social media on the young minds.
“It is no longer news that the social media has its negative sides, especially on young children, if not monitored.
“This, if left unchecked, may corrupt good manners and end up getting these children derailing,” the principal said.
She identified lack of supervision and mentoring as one of the challenges faced in nuturing children, especially the girl-child in the digital age.
Yakubu-Oyinloye said that parents must rise up to the occasion to ensure that children get the right values and become who they want to be.
She expressed regret that some parents were aiding and abetting children in terms of indiscipline.
According to her, it is unacceptable for parents to connive with their children to contravene school rules and regulations.
“A child who does such now will keep on doing it, even when they are out of school.
“When a child comes to school with contraband for instance, it is the parents that gave such a child the contraband.
“Some of the wrong attire and other contrabands they are caught with in school, are usually brought from home,” she stated.
The principal also fingered wrong role models as being responsible for moral decadence among children.
“In our time growing up, there was nothing like social media, including internet, but it is not the same thing now, because some of the things that they are exposed to, including the television and telephones, are things that can corrupt young minds.
“We also see people who are being seen as role models, that are not supposed to be.
“These children are easily attracted by the kind of lives they live, maybe because they have money that they throw around, including some of the music that are being played, which corrupt young minds.
“And this is where the parents must step up efforts in a bid to put these girls on the right path.
“Some of these parents will leave home early in the morning chasing money, only to get back home late. They must know that everything is not about money.
“You do not have to buy a smart phone or an Iphone for a six- year- old child, just because you have the money, because you may not be able to control what that child sees on that phone.
You may not be able to control the influences,” she said.
Yakubu-Oyinloye noted that the school was doing its best through its guidance and counseling unit, with moral and motivational talks usually held from time to time for the students.
She said that parents need to be very much involved in raising their children, especially the girls, as there was more to parenting than providing them with all they requested for.
“They must also strive to know the kind of friends their children are keeping. It is very important.
“This will help in knowing if the child is derailing. So, parents must be up and doing, by devoting a lot of time for their children, pray for them and counsel them,” she noted.
She called on the parents to further support the school in whatever way they could, as government could not do it all alone.
The principal noted that government over the years, had continued to support the college by providing the enabling environment for teaching and learning to thrive.
“I must therefore commend the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu and other top functionaries of the ministry, the Parents Teacher Association, the School Based Management Committee and the Old Girls for their various interventions in the college.
“I want to urge the Old Girls of the college to always join hands in lifting their alma mater to its desired height, having been established in 1927.
“Let them join hands with the school and contribute the much they can, to ensure that we have a school system of our dream, so as to achieve the much desired national development,” she said.
The principal stated that the college was faced with challenges in the area of dearth of both teaching and non teaching staff, aging infrastructure and inadequate vehicles for mobility.
She said that given the astronomical increase in cost of energy, arising from increased cost of diesel and electricity tariff, there was need for a solar-power plant.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the PTA. Mr Damola Adewuyi, urged the graduating students to remain focused and shun all forms of distraction.(NAN)
The Nigeria Police Force says individuals who have attained the age of criminal responsibility must be answerable for their actions, regardless of biological age.
The Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, in a statement on Saturday in Abuja said the provision was very clear under the Nigerian law.
He said the provision was in line with global practices, where accountability was upheld for young individuals who commit serious offenses.
Adejobi said the clarification followed public opinion over the arraignment of 76 alleged minors over terrorism, arson and treasonable felony by the Nigeria Police.
According to him, in managing the detention and arraignment of these suspects, the Nigeria Police has rigorously adhered to legal provisions to ensure fairness and accountability under the rule of law.
He said the suspects were initially presented in court, where they were formally charged, with a remand order issued by the court.
“Throughout this process, the police have worked to balance justice with compassion, ensuring that each suspect’s basic rights and privileges are respected, including access to medical care and other necessary provisions.
“An unexpected incident in court saw six of the suspects suddenly rush out and faint on Oct. 1, drawing media attention in a deliberate and scripted manner to draw negative attention.
“Medical aid was promptly provided to these individuals, demonstrating the Police Force’s commitment to the welfare of those in its custody, irrespective of the allegations they face.
“While committed to upholding justice, the Nigeria Police Force remains sensitive to the rights of all individuals, including young persons,” he said.
According to him, as seen in other jurisdictions, including the United Kingdom, age does not exempt individuals from facing legal consequences.
He said the Nigeria Police was aware of public interest in the case and assured that its officers would maintain professionalism throughout the legal process.
Adejobi enjoined the public to view the case without undue bias, adding that the force remains focused on a transparent pursuit of justice.
He said the force would remain committed to aligning with best practices, upholding both the rule of law and respect for human dignity. (NAN)
Bells University of Technology, Ota, Ogun, on Saturday awarded 91 students of the institution First Class (Honours) at its 16th Convocation Ceremonies.
The convocation ceremonies are for the 2023/2024 academic session.
Ojediran said that a total of 969 students graduated in the academic session.
He said that they comprised the 91 students who made First Class grade, 505 who secured Second Class (Upper Division), 313 with Second Class (Lower Division) and 60 graduating with Third Class.
The vice-chancellor said that 220 students were graduating in the post-graduate category.
Mr Sally Farouk from the university’s Department of Architecture emerged the overall best student with a Cumulative Grade Point Average of 4.
94, according to Ojediran.He said that the institution set out to proffer best solutions from collective knowledge, shared experiences and resources, recognising that education was a lifelong activity.
The vice-chancellor lauded the staff of the university for cooperation and dedication to giving the students quality education.
“You have joined hands with the management of the institution to work on this fertile ground,” he said.
The Pro-Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Bart Nnaji, said that university was the first private university of technology in Nigeria, noting that it was established in 2005.
Nnaji said that the institution had made remarkable achievements in teaching and research as part of its vision to contribute to the growth and development of Nigeria.
“Let me also congratulate the graduating students who have distinguished themselves through their hard work and discipline and are being rewarded today.” he said.
In his remarks, the Chancellor of the institution, Dr Ibrahim Dankwambo, commended former President Olusegun Obasanjo for contributions to education development in the country.
Dankwambo also congratulated a former Executive Secretary of National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Peter Okebukola, and the Executive Director of Sahara Group, Mr Temitope Shonubi, for honorary doctoral degree given them by the university.
Report says that Okebukola and Shonubi were conferred with the degree for their outstanding pedigrees and services to humanity. (NAN)
The Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) has said that suspects arrested during the #Endbadgovernance protest in August 2024 were not remanded in any of its adult custodial centres in Abuja.
The Service Public Relations Officer (SPRO) Abubakar Umar confirmed this in a statement on Saturday in Abuja.
our correspondent gathered that the suspects arrested for treason during the #Endbadgovernance protest that held in August 2024, were on Friday, arraigned before Justice Obiora Egwuatu at the Federal High Court, Abuja Division.
Umar said that there were misleading reports making the rounds in some sections of the media purporting that the suspects were remanded in one of the adult custodial centres in Abuja.
According to the NCoS spokesman, the said report has no iota of truth.
”The service operates under the best correctional and global practices.
“To set records straight, the NCoS Act 2019 has empowered the Controllers of Corrections as well as Superintendents-in-charge of Custodial Centres not to admit juveniles in facilities meant for adults.
“The Act also mandates the service to reject more intake of inmates where it is apparent that the custodial facility in question is filled to capacity.
“The service wishes to inform the public that the said suspects were rejected and none of them were remanded in adult custodial facilities as insinuated by the said report.
“The service assures the public that NCoS will continue to emphasise professionalism as well as respect for human rights in line with the United Nations Minimum Standard Rules for the Treatment of Juvenile offenders.
“Furthermore, the general public is enjoined to disregard the said report because it is not the true position of things,”he said.(NAN)
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