Connect with us

Education

Jonathan Hails Vice Chancellor Appointment for Otuoke Varsity

Published

on

Goodluck Ebele Jonathan
Share

From Tayese Mike,Yenagoa

Former President of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan has congratulated the newly appointed Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Otuoke (FUO) in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, Prof Teddy Charles Adias.

In his felicitations contained in a congratulatory letter dated November 11, a copy of which was made available to DAILY ASSET, , Jonathan described the new Vice Chancellor as a true Nigerian worthy of  emulation.

“Your commitment to transforming the education sector and the FUO institution is commendable. I am confident that you will excel and ensure peace, prosperity and enhanced infrastructural development of the University that will be a citadel for our youths from all over the country,”Jonathan stated.

The former President urged Prof Adias’ to use his “position as the newly appointed Vice Chancellor to motivate more Nigerian youths to embrace tertiary education.”

Similarly, King Dumaro Charles-Owaba, Obamoghan III of Ogbia Kingdom has felicitated with the University Vice Chancellor, whom he described as one of the foremost illustrious sons of the Kingdom.

The Paramount ruler expressed satisfaction in the appointment and noted that the kingdom was proud of the Professor of Haematology because he has made indelible marks and proved to be a worthy ambassador of the kingdom.

Also King A. J. Turner, Obigbo Miki Miki, Obanema of Opume Kingdom on behalf of the Opume Kingdom congratulated Prof Adias on his appointment.

King Turner noted that Prof Adias’ appointment was well deserved and a true reflection of his integrity, Professionalism, tenacity and the trust the management and staff of the institution placed in him.

“You have always committed to building human capacity in Bayelsa, the Niger Delta and our beloved country Nigeria.” he added.

Before his appointment, Prof. Adias who hails from Otuogidi Community in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa state was Deputy Vice Chancellor of FUO and one time Rector f Bayelsa State College of Health Technology, Otuogidi.

Education

Private School Operators Deny Charging Exorbitant Fees, Hiring Unqualified Teachers

Published

on

Share

Some owners of private schools in the South-South region say they only charge school fees that are commensurate with the quality of service being offered.The private school owners made the expression during a News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) survey in Akwa Ibom, Cross River and Rivers.Mr Godwin Okwu, the Chairman, National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools, (NAPPS), Cross River chapter, said that the fees charged by private school in the state were not exorbitant.

Okwu further said that it was untrue that private schools employed unqualified teachers.
“Whatever we charge as school fees is commensurate with the quality of service we provide.“Private schools may look expensive, this is because the government does not subsidise their services the way they do for public schools.
“In some public schools, the government pays for everything including staff, and still collect fees from the students,” he said.He said it was wrong and unfair to compare the public school system to the private school system in terms of fees because public schools enjoyed the full support of government.“What we should consider is the quality of service and the product. It is not in doubt that the private school system is producing better results.“So it is unfair and contradictory to say that private schools employ substandard teachers, how then are we able to produce good results if our teachers are of low quality?” he said.The NAPPS chairman however said that private school owners were sometimes forced by economic realities to carry out minimal increase in fees.“Currently, the minimum wage for workers has increased, and private schools are expected to pay. How else do we raise the money to pay salaries?Okwu urged the state ministries of education to be more proactive and thorough in undertaking their inspectorate and monitoring functions.“As the regulator, the ministry should ensure uprightness. The interest of the children should be in the forefront,” he said.On his part, Mr Daniel Effiong, a Director of Inspection in Cross River Ministry of Education, said it was misleading to say that private schools employed low quality teachers.He said that the ministry had been resilient in monitoring the activities of private schools in the state.“We check the qualifications of the teachers, the environment, toilets among others before approval and upgrading.“This exercise is not just once, we do it regularly. Surely there are bad eggs in the system, we penalise them when they are uncovered,” he said.Also speaking on the issue, Mr Ubokmfon Williams, NAPPS Chairman in Akwa Ibom, said that private school owners in the state had not increased fees in a long time.Williams said that the economic situation in the country had made it difficult for private school owners to increase school fees.“With the way the economy is, any unnecessary increment in school fees may lead to massive withdrawal of students.“If you understand school business, if you truly want to remain in business, you have to avoid unnecessary increase in fees,” he said.The NAPPS chairman however said that sometimes, economic realities force private owners to increase fees in order to meet up.“Take salary as an example, if you don’t increase fees, how do you pay salaries of your workers. When you can’t pay salaries, your employees will go elsewhere.“As private school operators, we look critically at the interest of parents and the economic situation in the country before taking decisions.“We also want to remain in business, we are aware that the priority of every parent at the moment is food. We are very careful not to lose our market,” he said.Speaking on the reason private schools do not have uniform school fees, Williams said that criteria such as location and quality of service are considered by schools before fixing their fees.“Some schools pay for excursions, school bus, medicals, security, and some schools are located far away from town.“One thing is that no private school unilaterally fixes school fees, every private school liaises with its Parents Teacher Association before deciding what the fees will be,” he said.Speaking on the quality of services being offered by private schools, the NAPPS chairman, said that private schools did not treat the issue of teachers qualification with levity.“We hire not just good and professional teachers, we ensure that our teachers posses the skills to impart knowledge.“We are aware that a teacher may be a professional but may not skillful, so in the private school system, we are goal oriented,” he said.Mr Assam Abia, an Eket-based parent whose children are in private schools, said that more families took interest in sending their children and wards to private schools because the public school system failed at some point.“Parents are only seeing the fees charged by private schools as exorbitant because of the current economic challenges.“What I see is that school proprietors are responding to the basic economic law of demand and supply by increasing their fees,” he said.He said that the employment situation in the country had left many graduates without jobs, and that those who did not train to become teachers were now working as teachers.“Private schools are in business, they must make profits. The remedy lies in the monitoring agencies to do their jobs effectively.“The ministry or department that supervises private school should be more thorough and proactive, we want to see them in action,” he said.Abia also called for an overhaul of the education sector through legal and policy frameworks that would put the sector on the right track.“There is an urgent need for the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency in the education sector. Governments need to pay attention to the activities of private schools.In Rivers, a Legal Expert, Dr Hilda Desmond, blamed the fees being charged by private schools on the lack of supervision by regulatory authorities.Desmond, the Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association, Ahoada Chapter, said that poor regulation and supervision of private schools had negatively affected primary and secondary school education in the state.“The education sector has been grossly bastardized particularly by private operators. Private operators exploit parents without making efforts to step up operational standards.“What we call exorbitant fee is purely class driven. Some elite see high school fees as a sign of quality, and prefer to enroll their children in such schools.“It is a matter of choice, here are still schools with qualified teachers, affordable school fees and appreciable learning environment,” she said.The lawyer expressed concerns that some schools greedily converted child minders to classroom teachers and pay meagre salaries.She said that it was an act of wickedness for school operators to use poor quality teachers at the nursery and primary school levels.“Once there is a faulty nursery and primary education, the entire learning process of the child becomes ruined. So we must strive to get it right from the first stage.”Sadly, most private schools are in business, rather than employ qualified teachers that should impart knowledge, they compromise examination standards,” she said.Mr Isijana Adasi, a Port Harcourt-based Education Consultant, said that all tiers of government had failed to provide the atmosphere for quality education to thrive.Adasi, also the Lead Advisor, Adasi Science Project, identified inadequate budgetary provisions for education as a major reason for the inefficiency in supervision and monitoring of the private school system in the country.“This is part of the reasons that education inspectors have become vulnerable, and are now compromising standards.”Most school inspectors visit high profile schools with the mindset of receiving money and other packages without being thorough about their duties.“So, until regulatory authorities become committed to their duty of enforcing standards, the average Nigerian child may not get the best education, it does not matter how much parents pay as fees.Mr Isaiah Uwa, a Bori-based parent, urged the Federal Government to take more stringent steps towards improving the quality of service being offered by private schools.“Part of the efforts should also be to monitor what they charge as school fees. Quality and standard should be the primary consideration.“Some private schools claim to adopt British or American curriculum instead of the government approved curriculum. This shouldn’t be allowed.“Some of these schools make their pupils to skip classes and some statutory examinations, this is a gross disservice to the society,” he said.(NAN

Continue Reading

Education

Varsity Don Highlights Opportunities for Benue Economic Growth

Published

on

Share

By David Torough, Abuja

Dean of the School of Postgraduate Studies at the University of Abuja, Professor Ukertor Gabriel Moti, has said Benue State’s economy remains a paradox of vast potential and persistent poverty.Speaking at the maiden reunion and award ceremony of Club De Pals held in Abuja, Prof.

Moti outlined key issues affecting the state’s economic performance and suggested pathways for growth.
“Benue is rich in agricultural produce and natural resources, yet it struggles with poverty, unemployment, and weak fiscal performance,” he stated, adding that the state’s reliance on federal allocations was unsustainable.
Moti added that the state’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) stands at N4.
27 trillion, ranking 12th in the country, but its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) averages just N1.59 billion per month, making Benue heavily dependent on Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) funds.“In 2022, Benue was the fourth most FAAC-dependent state in Nigeria, which is a dangerous position for poverty reduction efforts,” Prof. Moti said. He noted that 75% of the population is classified as dimensionally poor, with inadequate access to essential services such as health, education, and decent living conditions.Insecurity was identified as a major factor hindering economic development in the state, affecting agriculture and discouraging investments. “Insecurity has cast a long shadow over Benue, forcing the closure of markets like the Zaki Biam international yam market,” he remarked.Prof. Moti highlighted several strategies to rebuild the Benue economy, including prioritizing infrastructure development, creating favourable tax policies, and improving electricity supply through public-private partnerships.“The government must focus on agro-processing, industrialization, and creating a conducive environment for businesses. A strong partnership between the government, private sector, and civil society is essential for sustainable growth,” he said.He also urged civil society organizations like Club De Pals and local entrepreneurs to invest in small-scale ventures, noting that collective efforts were critical to achieving economic recovery.“Rebuilding the Benue economy requires deliberate and sustained action. It is a shared responsibility that must involve everyone,” Prof. Moti stated.

Continue Reading

Education

UNILAG Governing Council Appoints new Registrar, Librarian

Published

on

Share

The Governing Council of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) has approved the appointment of the new registrar and librarian of the institution.

Mrs Adejoke Alaga-Ibraheem, Head, Communication Unit, UNILAG, made this known in a statement on Friday in Lagos.

Alaga-Ibraheem said the new registrar, Mrs Victoria Wickliffe and Dr Olatokunbo Okiki, the university librarian are both appointed for a period of five years.

According to her, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Mr Wole Olanipekun approved the appointment during the council’s meeting.

“Wickliffe’s appointment is with effect from Feb. 1, 2025, while that of Okiki is with effect from March 14, 2025.

“Their appointments followed the recommendations of the selection boards for the appointment of a substantive registrar and university librarian, respectively,” she said.

Alaga-Ibraheem added that Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, Vice-Chancellor, UNILAG, congratulated the new appointees on behalf of the management, staff and students and wished them a successful tenure. (NAN)

Continue Reading

Read Our ePaper

Top Stories

NEWS19 hours ago

Nigeria Recorded 467,000 TB Cases in 2023 – Tinubu

ShareBy Laide Akinboade, Abuja The wife of President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on Tuesday, revealed that Nigeria recorded approximately 467,000, Tuberculosis,...

NEWS20 hours ago

Birth Registration Increases, 150m Children Still ‘Invisible’- UNICEF

Share A new report from the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reveals significant progress in ending the problem of the “invisible”...

NEWS20 hours ago

Christmas: Criminals ‘ll not Have Breathing Space in FCT – Wike

Share The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, says plans underway to suffocate criminals operating in...

OPINION21 hours ago

Mohammed: A Visionary Leader Revolutionizing The Paradigm Of JEDC

Share By Friday Adakole Elijah On October 18, 2022, Engr. Abdu Bello Mohammed assumed the mantle of leadership as the...

RMFARC RMFARC
NEWS21 hours ago

RMAFC Not Opposed to Tinubu’s Tax Reform Bills – Chairman

Share By Tony Obiechina, Abuja The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has refuted recent media reports alleging its...

NEWS21 hours ago

Tinubu Want is to Connect Satellite towns Abuja City – Wike

Share By Laide Akinboade, Abuja The Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike, on Tuesday, explained that the reason...

NEWS21 hours ago

Girl Child education: Niger to Offer Oversea Scholarships to 1000 Female Students

ShareFrom Dan Amasingha, Minna In its effort to promote girl child education and enrollment in school, the Niger State government...

NEWS21 hours ago

Kogi Constitutes Committee to Investigate Alleged Examination Fraud

ShareFrom Joseph Amedu, Lokoja Kogi State Government has constituted an examination misconduct, investigation, and disciplinary committee to look into allegations...

NEWS21 hours ago

71 KWASU Students Set to Bag First Class Among Others

ShareFrom Samuel James, Ilorin The Management of Kwara State University Malete is set to produce 71 First Class graduates among...

NEWS21 hours ago

Minimum Wage: Nasarawa Gov’t Begs Labour to Suspend Strike, Resume Dialogue

ShareFrom Abel Zwànke, Lafia The Nasarawa State Government has called on the leadership of labour unions in the state to...

Copyright © 2021 Daily Asset Limited | Powered by ObajeSoft Inc