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Rep Donates N1m to Otukpo Federal University

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By Orkula Shaagee, Abuja

A member of the House of Representatives, representing Ado/Ogbadigbo/Okpokwu Federal Constituency of Benue State, Dr. Francis Ottah Agbo has donated N1 million to the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo, Benue State.

Agbo presented the N1 million cheque to the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Innocent Ujah at a brief ceremony in Abuja.

A statement signed by the Media Adviser to the Honourable Member, Mr.

Andrew Agbese, stated that the support is in fulfilment of a promise the parliamentarian made to support the university to commence academic activities and function fully as a citadel of learning.

Speaking at the ceremony, Dr. Ottah Agbo said he was happy seeing a senior member of his constituency appointed as Vice Chancellor of a pioneer university that holds a lot of promise for his constituents and the nation in general.

He said given Prof. Ujah’s track record of academic and administrative excellence, his appointment as Vice Chancellor is a crowning glory akin to that of a civil servant becoming a Permanent Secretary or a soldier, becoming a General.

“As far as I’m concerned, you’re a General in the medical profession and I’m happy that you were appointed during my tenure.

“I’m here today because I told you I am ‘Talk and do’ and I want to stand by my words; when I say something, I do it.

“God Almighty has made it possible for me to do it and I don’t joke with that, that’s the legacy I want to leave behind so that when people see my children even when I must have passed on, they will say these are the children of the Honourable Francis Ottah Agbo, your father; was a man of honor and integrity,” Hon Agbo said.

He said from the steps the VC has taken so far to get the university going, Prof. Ujah, will attain great heights with the university  as a chick that will grow into a big cock is known from the day it is hatched.

Agbo, who chairs the Narcotic Drugs Committee and is Spokesman of the Minority Caucus  in the House, encouraged the VC not to relent but strive to do more so as to lay a solid foundation for the University.

He promised to keep supporting the VC, the university and the Idoma Medical Doctors Foundation, saying he considers it imperative to plant seeds on worthy causes.

“And because you’re a man of vision, I saw what you’ve started in collaboration with your colleagues and saw the way the place is shaping up, and I said I want to be part and parcel of that vision.

“I said I want to plant a seed in the Idoma Medical Doctors Foundation and that is partly why I am here today.

“So I am here to congratulate you once more  and encourage you for all the steps you have taken towards making sure that the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo, assumes its pride of place in Nigeria and beyond  as you have envisioned,” her added.

Agbo lamented the current situation where the whole of Benue South has no resident medical consultant, saying with the coming of the Federal University of Medical Sciences, such challenges would no longer exist and medical services would improve in the entire Zone C.

Responding, the Vice Chancellor, who was highly elated by the gesture, thanked the Hon Agbo for the support.

Prof. Ujah who is also the President of Nigeria Medical Association said, “I want to, on behalf of the Federal University of Health Sciences, the Idoma Medical Doctors Foundation, the people of Okpokwu where I come from appreciate you from the bottom of my heart.”

He assured that the University is not going to be for Idoma alone as it is a federal university with international standard as it has started developing partnerships internationally while many are keying into it.

He explained that the University will not only be for the training of doctors as is  being assumed as it has departments like  Engineering; Water related courses, Nursing; Pharmacy; Medical Laboratory Science  Public Health and so on.

Education

FG to Develop Data on all Schools to Address Challenges in Education

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The Federal Government says it will sign a partnership contract with an ICT firm to generate data on all schools in Nigeria in order to tackle challenges in the sector.

The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman disclosed this in Abuja on Monday at a two-day capacity building workshop for Desk Officers in the ministry, its Departments and Agencies.

Reports says the capacity building workshop focuses on the implementation, collation, harmonisation and reportage of ministerial deliverables.

“It is our plan that by end of this year or early next year, we will be signing a partnership contract with a firm that will be working with our IT people to generate data on all schools in Nigeria.

“This is because we need to know our teachers, and every single student, we need data to know the trend of learning, our school infrastructure.

“This exercise will enhance decision making and policy formulation as the data collected and collated will aid evidence based planning, measure implementation and progress and identify areas where improvement is required,’’  he said.

Mamman added that data would help to advise the state governments on the right policy to make that would affect the schools positively.

He charged heads of MDAs, desk officers and other participants to tailor their programmes, activities and projects towards the realisation of the deliverables.

“The uppermost focus of the Ministry in general is in the areas of ensuring generation of credible, timely and reliable education data at all levels; and promotion of skills development.

“It is also in the enhancement of skill development across the entire education landscape for innovative and employability education; teachers training and development; and reducing the number of out-of-school children in Nigeria.

“I believe if we get it right in education, everything else will fall in place.

“The doctors who man our hospitals, the nurses who delivers the vaccines, the engineering in charge of our construction works, everybody is the bye-product of our activities,’’ he said.

The minister commended the government of Kaduna state and the security organisations for helping in the release of the 287 abducted school children in the state.

The Senior Education Officer, Foreign Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) , Ian Attfield, pledged to support government in actualising the deliverables and as well support in addressing learning crisis through continuing education financing.

It will be recalled that President Bola Tinubu in his Renewed Hope Agenda for the education sector signed a 23 Ministerial Deliverables and the 13 Pillars of the Education Sector Roadmap 2024-2027.

The deliverables are: strengthening research and innovation in education sector, reviewing the status of technical and vocational education board, strengthening the education management information system, among others .(NAN)

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Education

Sen. Buba Pays UTME Fees for 350 Science Students in His Constituency

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Sen. Shehu Buba, representing Bauchi South at the Senate, has paid 2023/2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) fees for no fewer than 350 Science students in his constituency.

Mr Mohammed Dahiru, the Senator’s Programmes Supervisor, said in Bauchi on Monday, that in addition, all the beneficiaries will also be sponsored by the Senator in any university of their choice within the country.

Dahiru added that the Senator urged the beneficiaries to be more serious and read well in order to pass their exams.

Some students who are the beneficiaries of the gesture commended Sen. Buba for paying their fees.

They told newsmen in Bauchi, that the gesture had relieved their parents of the burden to pay for their UTME fees as they kept struggling to put food on their tables.

Jabir Khalid, one of the beneficiaries admitted that his parents couldn’t pay his examination fees because they had no money.

He extended his gratitude to the senator, adding that Buba also organised UTME lessons for them so that they could pass the examinations.  

“Sen. Buba came to my rescue and paid for me and many other students. And I shall be writing my exam on April 19,” he said.

Similarly, another beneficiary, Khadija Hassan, who was elated by the gesture, said her parents tried and paid for the first UTME she wrote but couldn’t raise money for this second one.

“I want to call on the senator to continue with his good deeds,” she said.

Also, Abubakar Ibrahim, commended  the senator for paying for their UTME fees in this difficult time when things are hard especially for the poor masses.

 “Some politicians don’t care about people’s education, not minding if you can afford to go to school or not.

“However, Senator Buba has shown us that he cares about our education to the extent of paying our UTME fees and I am among the lucky beneficiaries.”

“I also wrote the JAMB mock examination which I passed. The main examination will be held on the April 19,” he said. (NAN)

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Education

Education is Dying in Nigeria, People no Longer Read Books – Arogbofa

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Basorun Seinde Arogbofa, a leader of the Yoruba Sociocultural Groups, Afenifere, says education is dying in the country because people no longer read to improve their knowledge.

Arogbofa said this on Saturday in Akure on the occasion of his 85th birthday and public presentation of his new book, “The Psychology of Growing Old: A Personal Experience for both Old and Young”.

The Afenifere stalwart, while addressing the people present at the event, noted that education would die without books.

Arogbofa observed that the book publishing industry was also dying, mentioning some of the renowned publishing companies that had gone into extinction.

“Education is dying.

I know we have modern technology like this and that, but we can’t begin all this without writing; without producing the books, and we are not producing. Where do we go?

“This is a challenge for us in education. And of course, without books, we can’t move ahead.

“I’m aware that some will write in their bedroom or publish in the kitchen, and nobody, no editor will know what they have written, and they will go in front of their house to start selling the books.

“The next thing is that we find them in the hands of our students. And that is where education is going,” he said.

Arogbofa appealed to the state government and all stakeholders to see how to revive the reading culture in the country.

Speaking at the event, Gov. Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State congratulated Arogbofa on the occasion of his 85th birthday.

Aiyedatiwa, represented by his Chief of Staff, Mr Segun Omojuwa, saluted Arogbofa’s courage, mental alertness and scholarly exposition which he said were visibly demonstrated in the new book.

The governor said the occasion was not just for the presentation another book by one of the most versatile authors, but for celebrating hard work, focus and resilience of an icon who had served the Yoruba nation and Nigeria.

“It gives me great honour to be present at this auspicious occasion of the public presentation of the latest book of our revered elder statesman, Basorun Seinde Arogbofa, OFR.

“Let me first of all congratulate baba on his 85th birthday anniversary. Four scores and five years are no mean feat. It has undoubtedly been by the benevolence of the Almighty.

“This is even more outstanding and commendable when one takes into consideration his age.

“Baba is an exemplary leader and elder, I admire for his forthrightness, honesty, truthfulness and for always standing for a just cause.

“We hope to continually tap from your knowledge and wealth of experience,” he said.

Also speaking on the sideline of the event, former Governor of Ondo State, Olusegun Mimiko, said government needed to do more in terms of social security for elderly.

“As part of social security plan, we must take care of our old ones, especially the healthcare, there must be a healthcare security mechanism to take care of our old ones,” he said.

A former Governor of Kano State, Ibrahim Shekarau, identified inadequate funding and population challenge as the bane of education in the country.

Shekarau said that the rate of population growth has outgrown the planning and funding of the available facilities.

“I and those before us, the maximum in a class was 30, 40. I remember in the 80s, my government decided to make maximum in a class 50, but today, we have 100,150,” he said.

Shekarau later said all these were not beyond what the government could still address.

Reports says that the book was reviewed by the Ondo State Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, Kayode Ajulo, SAN.

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