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Tag: Education

  • 2022 Budget: Kogi Gov. Bello increases education allocation to 30%

    2022 Budget: Kogi Gov. Bello increases education allocation to 30%

    Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi says his Administration is increasing budgetary allocation to education sector from 20 per cent to 30 per cent in the 2022 fiscal year.

    Bello stated this in Lokoja at the grand finale of the four-week Inter-School Quiz and Essay Competition for public Secondary Schools in the state, sponsored by Pharmacist Abdukareem Asuku Youth Empowerment Foundation (PAAYEF).

    The Governor, who had in 2021 fiscal year, gave 20 per cent budgetary allocation to education sector, on Saturday, stressed the importance of education as the bedrock of development, and assured that both the infrastructural development and wellbeing of teachers and students would be enhanced for maximum productivity.

    According to him, as a beneficiary of public educational system and have been blessed to the level of being a governor of the state, I will have no cause than to raise the bar for the future generations.

    He vowed to make public schools in the state very attractive to the young ones, stressing that education remained one of the critical thematic areas of his administration.

    He noted that the State Education Law had forbidden pupils from roaming the streets during school hours, and promised to deploy enough resources to the sector that will make private schools unattractive to students and their parents.

    He restated his determination to make Kogi attain number one position in education in the country, and assured that government was working hard to make educational institutions in the state free from bandits and kidnappers.

    ”No child during my tenure, will be abducted from schools or anywhere across the state. I will not tolerate politicisation of security in the state.

    ”We have put measures in place to safeguard our pupils and their teachers and I call on stakeholders to join the crusade,” he said.

    Bello commended PAAYEF’s founder, Pharm. Abdukareem Asuku, who is also his Chief of Staff, for the gesture in supporting and boosting education in the state

    He enjoined his appointees and elected members in the administration to contribute to the development of education in the state.

    Earlier, the state’s Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mr. Wemi Jones, noted that Kogi was rated 28 position in WAEC result in 2018, but noted that the State had worked hard to change the narrative by upscaled to 14 position in the last WAEC rating.

    He assured the people that the state would not rest on its oars until it had won first position in all public examinations in the country, urging all stakeholders to contribute their quota to the development of educational sector.

    Jones expressed excitement with the performance of the students, noting that the exercise had opened up some challenges facing the sector and promised to tackle them head-on.

    ”Giving necessary encouragement, the students can compete favourably with their counterparts nationally and internationally,” Jones said.

    He urged corporate organisations, groups and individuals to support the sector in various forms ranging from financial, old students’ contributions, and for communities to protect and preserve education infrastructures in their domains.

    Speaking, the PAAYEF founder, said the competition was his modest contribution to raise confidence and consciousness of students of public schools in the state.

    He explained that the four-week events had three schools qualified from each senatorial district, that emerged as zonal winners, held between Sept. 25 to Oct. 9, 2021.

    He noted that the students were tested in English Language, Mathematics, Physics, Biology, Chemistry and General papers, adding that inter school debate was introduced at the grand finale.

    Saint Augustine College Kabba beat their opponent, Ebira Community Secondary School (ECSS) Ogaminana, to emerge the overall winner.

    A student, Esther Itopa, from Harmony Secondary School Lokoja, the only private school featured in the event won the spelling Bee.

    Tijani Sadiq from Demonstration Secondary School, Onikuko, Ogaminana, won first position in the written test, and received a full university scholarship from the foundation.

    Musa Alhassan from Government Science Secondary School, Okenya and Sam Abdullazeez from ECSS Ogaminana, who took second and third positions respectively, would have scholarship for their secondary school education, including payment of WAEC or NECO fees for Alhassan who got second.

    Some outstanding students in the competition received consolation prizes.

  • At 59, Okorocha speaks on what is most important to him

    At 59, Okorocha speaks on what is most important to him

    Ahead of his 59 years birthday celebration, former Governor of Imo State, Senator Rochas Okorocha, who represents Imo West Senatorial District in the Senate, has opened up on what is most important to him.

    The Imo State Senator said he desired in his lifetime to take one million children off the street and provide them with free quality education.

    Okorocha made this known on Wednesday in Abuja while speaking with a select group of journalists ahead of his 59 years birthday celebration on Thursday.

    According to him, his contract at 59 is to promote education for the less privileged, the downtrodden who lack access to education.

    Okorocha said that providing care and education for the downtrodden children across Africa meant much more to him than acquiring material things.

    “I want to take one million children off the street and give them free quality education, that is my target.

    “Once I am able to achieve that, it is much more important to me than being the president of Nigeria, a senator or governor.

    “This is more important to me than having mansions in South Africa and Dubai,” he said.

    The senator, who is the founder of the Okorocha Foundation, said that he presently has more than 25,000 children he was catering for in different schools.

    Rochas Foundation is a non- governmental, non-profit and non-political organisation, established in 1998.

    It has a firm commitment to serve humanity and build a credible future for Africa by ensuring every less privileged child has access to comprehensive and qualitative education.

    Okorocha said: “Now I have over 25,000 children, 75 per cent of them are orphans and about 15 per cent of them have single parent, five per cent are those living below poverty line, though their parents are alive.

    “On this my birthday, I have invited children from different parts of the country, and from all over Africa.

    He disclosed that many beneficiaries of his foundation had graduated and working in different fields.

    He urged more Nigerians and Africans to join him in the desire to move more children off the street and give them education that would not only develop the continent but promote peace.

    Okorocha also urged the media to give necessary support to the government in addressing insecurity, banditry and other challenges facing the country.

    “This is the time the media are needed more for the security and development of the country.

    “No doubt our nation is going through difficult moments and there are insecurity and other challenges. This is the time we are going to need you more,“ he said.

    He said that Nigeria could be made better collectively, if everybody played his part responsibility.

    Some of the children his foundation enrolled in different schools who came to wish him happy birthday are from Kenya, Congo, Cameroon, Mozambique, Gambia and Nigeria.

    Some others came from Ethiopia, Liberia, Burundi, Malawi, South Sudan, Sierra Leone, Guinea Bissau, Niger, Lesotho and Tanzania.

    Some of the students thanked Okorocha for giving them life and hope through quality education.

    One of the students of Rochas Foundation College of Africa (ROFOCA), Miss Muna Begashaw from Ethiopia, said that Okorocha gave so many of her type hope.

    She urged more Nigerians and other Africans to emulate Okorocha by assisting the less privileged.

    “We have millions of less privileged in Africa and one man cannot take care of all of them. We need more people to emulate him,” Begashaw said.

    A Nigerian, Master Sanusi Muhammed from Sokoto State and an SS2 student in ROFOCA Abuja, said he counted himself lucky to be one of the beneficiaries of Rochas Foundation.

    Muhammed said that the foundation did not just provide them shelter and food but quality education and moral education to meet future challenges.

  • Commissioner warns schools in Delta against collecting unapproved levies

    Commissioner warns schools in Delta against collecting unapproved levies

    Delta Commissioner for Secondary Education, Mrs Rose Ezewu, warned in Asaba on Friday that public and private schools must stop the collection of unapproved levies.

    She gave the warning when the state’s chapter of All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools led by its chairperson, Lady Winifred Emeni paid her a courtesy visit.

    Ezewu said that any public or private school that encouraged such practice would be sanctioned.

    “All stakeholders in the education sector should contribute their quota towards sanitising the system,’’ she said, adding that she would continue to do her best to reposition the sector.

    “Secondary education under my watch will always release results of Basic Education Certificate Examination in record time,’’ she added.

    Earlier, Mrs Emeni commended Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa for appointing Ezewu as Commissioner for Secondary Education.

    “We are in the ministry to fashion out ways of moving secondary education forward in the state.

    “I appeal to the state government to provide more furniture and other equipment in our schools,’’ she said.

    She noted that the Okowa-led administration was committed to ensuring that schools were conducive for effective teaching and learning.

    “I call on parents to ensure that their children and wards are adequately prepared for school.

    “Principals and teachers should redouble their commitment towards impacting more positively on the lives of students through effective teaching and counselling,’’ Mrs Emeni added.

    Public and private secondary schools in Delta will resume for the 2021/2022 academic session on Monday, Sept.13.

  • ASUU to Nigerians : Blame Buhari if education drifts to total collapse

    ASUU to Nigerians : Blame Buhari if education drifts to total collapse

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has lashed out at the Muhammadu Buhari administration for breaching the agreement it reached with public university lecturers.

    ASUU had “conditionally” suspended its nine-month strike in December 2020 after government promised to honour its agreement with them.

    The union asked its members to down tools in March 2020 over non-payment of salaries of lecturers who failed to enroll in the Federal Government’s Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) and government’s unfulfilled promises.

    At a press conference by the Ibadan Zone of the union at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, yesterday addressed by the Coordinator, Prof. Oyebamiji Oyegoke, the group told Nigeria to hold Buhari responsible should the educational system be engulfed in other crisis based on unfulfilled promises. Oyegoke revealed that only salary shortfall and setting up of visitation panels to federal universities had been addressed by government.

    He said, “Re-negotiation of conditions of service, injection of revitalisation funds, payment of earned academic allowances, implementation of University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS), proliferation of state universities, release of withheld salaries and non-remittance of checkoff of unions which were all contained in the December 22, 2020 Memorandum of Action have not been addressed.” Oyegoke added: “The claim by the Minister of Labour and Employment (Chris Ngige) that the money allocated for the revitalization of public universities had been paid as contained in the MoA of 2020 cannot be true. The same minister confirmed on August 2, 2021 that the money is still in the custody of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), only awaiting application by the Minister of Education for eventual transfer to the NEEDS Assessment Fund Account. That government had been working hard to facilitate the release of money by the CBN since January 2021 leaves a sour taste in the mouth.”

    According to the group, government’s decision to withhold salaries for months, non-release of EAA, non- payment of checkoff accruing to the union is an invitation to another possible industrial crisis. Oyegoke said, “Moreover, UTAS avowed suitability has been demonstrated admirably to the Minister of Education and members of his team, Senate President and other key stakeholders like the ministries of Labour and Employment; Education, Finance, Office of the Accountant General, representatives of Nigeria Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).

    “The more the government insists on fulfilling the demands of integrity test on UTAS, the longer will be the accompanying pains earlier identified in IPPIS on our members.” He added, “At a reconciliation meeting between the Federal Government and leadership of our union on Monday, August 2, 2021 at the conference room of the Minister of Labour and Employment, where all the contentious matters affecting the outstanding issues regarding the implementation of the 2020 FGN/ASUU MoA were discussed, the minister, Dr Chris Ngige, on behalf of the FG promised that a broader government team and the inter-ministerial committee on the draft renegotiated 2009 ASUU-FG agreement would conclude its work and submit the report to government by the end of August 2021…”

  • The new narratives of unity schools in Nigeria – Ozioma Onyenweaku

    The new narratives of unity schools in Nigeria – Ozioma Onyenweaku

    Ozioma Onyenweaku

    Last week I was reminiscing on the good old days of the federal schools now unity schools. There was an idea, a great one at that behind the creation of Federal Schools.

    The idea was to foster national unity by bringing young ones from different parts of the country together in schools; to grow and develop along a united front that embrace unity while respecting the obvious diversity; and to foster unity among the over 300 ethnic nationalities of Nigeria.

    The idea was on its very good course for about 2 decades; getting accolades for living up to expectation. And then gradually some virus started eating and eating deep into the system leaving the unity schools now comatose.
    Some people blame the fall of the unity schools on the inequality or rather still, discrimination, in the admission process. There has been huge gap in cut-off marks of one region and the other.

    I recall that in 2013, former president of Nigeria Bar Association, and Human Rights Lawyer, Olisa Agbakoba, had in Suit No. FHC/L/CS/1358/2013 challenged the inequality in the admission process into the unity schools. He challenged the disparity in the admission process approved by the federal government where different cut-off marks apply based on the candidate’s state of origin and gender.

    Agbakoba, requested for uniform admission requirement, especially cut-off marks, be applied to all candidates irrespective of gender and state of origin.

    Giving judgment in November 2014, the court declared that the application of different cut-off marks based on states of origin, and gender violates the candidates’ fundamental rights to freedom from discrimination as guaranteed under section 42(1) of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

    The court, therefore, ordered the Federal Government and the Minister of Education to apply uniform cut-off marks to all candidates seeking admission into Unity Schools irrespective of their states of origin and gender.

    However, the position is still as it was before the complaint. The government chooses which court orders to obey and which not to obey depending on the actors, and whose interests are affected.

    In my opinion, though, the admission process disparity does not account for the rot in unity schools now. It is more of the total neglect and abandonment of the unity schools by the Federal Government.

    The school structures and the entire unity school system have been left to decay and rot.

    Buildings now collapse, and roofs being blown off. Broken gates and walls are seen in many schools. The once sparkling environments of unity schools have turned into eyesore. The environments where these young ones are expected to reside and study are everything far from being fit for humans.

    Water and electricity have become scarce commodities. Students roam streets and streams in search of water. Schools buses are great luxury.
    Teachers of Federal Schools are now being owed. In some of the schools, parents and guardians contribute money for teachers’ salaries and allowances. In some too, the parents hire teachers and pay them. The students suffer malnutrition as government does not pay attention to their cries any longer. The decay cuts across all unity schools.

    Another factor militating against the unity school is insecurity in the country. The essence of Unity Schools is to have students from the different parts of the country intermingle to achieve national integration. But with the high level of insecurity in the country, parents are now reluctant to send their young children to attend unity school outside their immediate environment. This defeats the purpose of the unity schools.
    For about two decades, the unity schools served the purpose of achieving integration among the diverse ethnic groups in the country.

    To go to any part of the country now, all I need to is find out which of my federal babes are there; and hurray, I would be home! Same applies even if travelling outside the country. We remain sisters today because we grew up knowing ourselves as sisters.
    There is need to revive the unity schools because reasons for establishing unity schools are still valid today, in fact, more than any other time.

    But we cannot possibly achieve that if the issue of insecurity is not tackled and conquered. With the insecurity, students are not able to go beyond their local environment. This then leaves the unity schools as community schools.

    There is need for the government to go back to the drawing board as regards the unity schools. The country needs the national integration, cultural and religious tolerance now more than ever before. We can catch the children young on that.

    The creation of Unity schools is an idea well conceived for national good. Let us not kill it.
    Ozioma remains a proud Old Girl of FGGC, Gboko. Pro Unitate!!

  • FG focuses on arms procurement, ends negotiation with bandits

    FG focuses on arms procurement, ends negotiation with bandits

    The Federal Government has explained its decision to cease all negotiations with bandits and kidnappers, saying that ransoms are used to procure arms.

    The Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, revealed this while addressing the press at the close of Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    When asked for government’s reaction to the viral footage showing some kidnapped students in Kaduna State being tortured by kidnappers, Nwajiuba said the government was doing its part to rescue the students as soon as possible.

    He said, “Truly speaking, it is disheartening anytime any of our students are taken at any point, I can assure you that the Federal Government is doing all that it can.

    “Insecurity at the school level, you may understand, stems from insecurity around the area. Before we had Chibok, there was Boko Haram in the area. It is the success of the military in more or less incapacitating Boko Haram in the North-East that led to some level of insurgents in the North-West.”

    Nwajiuba said that since the military cannot go into the forest and start shooting at everyone they find, bandits had taken advantage to use some citizens as human shields.

    Buhari unleashes maddening heat on agitators, turns blind eyes as blood-thirsty bandits, terrorists revel in cash, challenge Nigeria’s aerial power

    He added that the government would no longer negotiate with bandits, saying ransoms were being re-channeled into the procurement of arms.

    He said “We are constrained to stop negotiations with bandits because we’ve seen that every time they get any payment, it leads to further escalation, because they rearm and they go back.”

  • Joke with education at your peril – Buhari warns

    Joke with education at your peril – Buhari warns

    President Muhammadu Buhari says no Nigerian parent jokes with education, as they know that if their children or wards missed the opportunity of being educated, they have missed a lot.

    The Nigerian leader said this at a panel session at the Global Education Summit in London, on Thursday.

    According to him, the size and population of Nigeria are challenges for any administration, but in spite of this, the government and people realise that education is the starting point for success.

    “You can’t succeed outside your educational qualification. Anybody who missed education has missed everything.

    ”Nigerians are acutely aware of the priority of education, and parents are making sacrifices to ensure that their children and wards get educated,” he said.

    On the panel with President Buhari were Presidents Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana, Faure Gnassingbe of Togo, Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, and Lazarus Chakwera of Malawi.

    Each President spoke on the peculiarities of the education sector of his country, and how budgetary provisions would be increased to ameliorate the situation.

    They all raised their hands as a sign of commitment to that resolution.

    Buhari had earlier committed to raising the budget for education by 50% in the next two years with a view to ensuring that the country would attain 100% increase by 2025.

  • I’ll raise education budget by 50% in two years’ time – Buhari

    I’ll raise education budget by 50% in two years’ time – Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari, on Wednesday, pledged to increase the budget for the education sector by 50 percent in the next two years.

    Supreme Court verdict; Buhari congratulates Akeredolu, asks PDP to calm down

    Buhari stated this at the ongoing Global Education Summit in London, United Kingdom.

    His commitment was contained in a document titled, ‘Heads Of State Call To Action On Education Financing Ahead Of The Global Education Summit’.

    Presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, quoted the Buhari as saying, “I join my brother, His Excellency, Uhuru Kenyatta, President of the Republic of Kenya to affirm our commitment to improve learning outcomes in our respective countries by ensuring equitable access to quality and inclusive education for all our citizens, with particular emphasis on the girl child.

    “We fully endorse the call for more efficient use of resources and to significantly increase investment in education by strengthening institutions, promoting greater adoption of technology, building the capacities of our teachers and mobilizing additional financial resources through legal frameworks and deliberate intervention on a sustainable basis.

    “In this regard, we commit to progressively increase our annual domestic education expenditure by 50% over the next two years and up to 100% by 2025 beyond the 20% global benchmark.

    “Let us therefore raise our hands in solidarity to build a more secure and prosperous future for our children.”

    The summit is co-hosted by Boris Johnson, UK Prime Minister, Uhuru Kenyatta, President of Kenya.

  • Buhari vows to improve quality of education

    Buhari vows to improve quality of education

    President Muhammadu Buhari Thursday in Daura, Katsina State, promised that his administration would allocate an increasing share of resources to improve learning in the country.

    The President in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, said improving the quality of education will continue to be his government’s priority.

    Speaking while receiving the proprietress, principal, and students of a private school, Premier Pacesetters School, Daura, at his house, President Buhari gave assurances that more emphasis will be given to the improvement of education.

    He said, “We will allocate an increasing share of resources to improve learning in the country in our effort to reform the educational sector.”

    President Buhari, who interacted with some of the children emphasized the importance of character, in addition to learning, urging them not to lose sight of the aspirations of the country.

    The school proprietress, Mrs Celine Friday, conveyed to the President the Sallah greetings of staff and students of the institution and commended the special attention given to education by the Buhari administration.

    She used the opportunity to appeal for federal government assistance to private schools in rural communities.

  • Insecurity, the biggest threat to children, not vehicular accidents – Ozioma Onyenweaku

    Insecurity, the biggest threat to children, not vehicular accidents – Ozioma Onyenweaku

    Ozioma Onyenweaku

    The Ministry of Education has just launched the Accident Prevention Initiative which has been tagged, ‘Go to School… Be Seen…Be Safe’. It was disclosed at the launch that the Federal Government plans to distribute reflective jackets to 40 million school children across the country. This is seen as part of Federal Government’s efforts to prevent accidents, and protect the school children from road accidents.

    This much was revealed by the Minister for State for education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba who emphasized that the initiative is part of government interest in protecting Nigerian children. He is quoted as saying:“The initiative, especially, is to prevent children from sustaining injuries while trekking to and from neighbouring schools. It is in pursuit of the good health and well-being of school children and realization of quality education”

    He explained further that “the initiative is designed to primarily aid the protection of school children from road accidents associated with motor vehicles, motor cycles, tricycles while crossing our busy network of roads to and from their respective schools… As enshrined in the Memorandum of Understanding, the program encompasses a phased kitting of school children within the ages of 4 and 14 years in selected schools at the federal and state levels, with customized reflective jackets and armbands…”

    The program of supplying reflective jackets and arms band to school children is expected to be later expanded to reach children in schools in the 36 states and the FCT.

    The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Sadiya Umar Farouq, in commending the Ministry for the program stated: “I applaud the Federal
    Ministry of Education and the Children Accident Prevention Initiative (CAPI) for stewarding such a desired program whose benefits are evidently of immeasurable value to the lives of our children and families. As such, we must all fully support it.”

    I do not share this sentiment at all. In normal times, I would have joined in the loud applause for this initiative. I would have also pronounced it a laudable program. Looking out for children, I know that is not the immediate and pressing need of the children. The greatest threat to their safety is not vehicular accidents. It is the insecurity in the country; the escalating incidences of abduction and kidnapping of school children. Vehicular accidents are the least of worries in the country. Schools would have to be open and safe to access before a student would hit the road and worry about accident.

    Many schools in some parts of the country have been closed and have remained closed because of fear of abduction. Many of the abducted school children are yet to be rescued. Rather than abet, the insecurity is so heightened that it keeps spreading like wild fire across the entire country. No one and nowhere is safe any longer in the country.

    May 2021 ended with the abduction of about 156 pupils from Salihu Tanko Islamiyya in Tegina town in the Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State.One hundred and ten Million Naira has been asked for as ransom.

    Is it amidst this level of insecurity, fear and terror, where the hopelessness over the whole situation looms big that kitting children for school against road accident would be prioritized by the Ministry of Education? The students need to be safe, and protected from abduction for the reflective jacket to be meaningful.

    Following the abduction of over 300 school girls by gunmen in Jangebe village in Zamfara State on February 27, 2021, did all the classrooms in that school and neighbouring schools not become deserted? Is it school children who cannot even access their schools that need reflective jackets?

    The priority for now is taking every urgent, immediate and sustainable step to keep schools and the children safe. I had earlier called for the implementation of the Safe School Declaration which the President of Nigeria ratified on 20th March 2019.
    .When Nigeria signed that Declaration, it made a public declaration that attack on schools has become unacceptable to the country. Going further to ratify the said Declaration, Nigeria declared that it is bound to keep all the principles of the Declaration, and ensure to put in place a national policy to guide the implementation of the Declaration.

    The Ministry of education and all stakeholders should be seen pushing for the implementation of the Safe School Declaration. That is where the applause lies.

    In the face of the escalating and widespread insecurity and abduction of school children in Nigeria, the Accident Prevention Initiative which has been tagged, ‘Go to School… Be Seen…Be Safe’ is a white elephant project. My one dollar opinion!