TheNewsGuru

Tag: Students

  • HARDSHIP: Izeze, FOOSTODEY, dole out N35m for Ughelli South women, students, vigilante

    HARDSHIP: Izeze, FOOSTODEY, dole out N35m for Ughelli South women, students, vigilante

    Delta State Commissioner for Works (Highways and Urban Roads), Comrade Reuben Izeze, in conjunction with his allies in FOOSTODEY, have dolled out over N35 million to cushion hardship on women, students and vigilante in Ughievwen Kingdom of Ughelli South Local Government Area of the state.

    The initiative saw 200 students receiving N25,000 each and 101 small scale traders in the 34 communities of Ughievwen Kingdom receive N50,000 each while the local vigilante received five motorcycles and Sienna bus to enhance their security patrol in the area.

    Speaking during the presentation ceremony held at his Oginibo residence in Ughelli South, Izeze said he was inspired to empower the people in view of the rising hardship in the country.

    “Considering the nature of our constitutional federation where most of the economic policies of the federation are determined by the Federal Government, especially the skyrocketing inflation and the ripple effects that our people have been subjected to, something had to be done.

    “As you know, Ughelli South is a rural local government predominantly agrarian and most of our people depend on motor vehicles that will transport their farm produce to major markets across the state.

    “However, with the recent increase in fuel prices and with the removal of fuel subsidy and the inconsistencies of Federal Government’s policies had led to untold hardship on our people.

    “For us, we don’t believe that you serve in an administration for the purpose of benefitting yourself and giving impression that your principal is frugal and nothing is happening.

    “For me, I wanted my people to know that the administration of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori is working, it is touching lives and we are benefitting.

    “Considering the fact that we are direct beneficiaries of the ‘Ukodo’, there is no other way to make it go round than what we are doing now.

    “Students are going back to school and they need to be supported because school fees have increased across our campuses and prices have naturally increased.

    “The Governor has paid bursary to over 30,000 students and if I love my boss, I must make sacrifices to support him because faith without works is dead.

    “By the grace of God, he has enabled me with grace of friends from across the country who are private sector players whom I called upon and together we were able to raise over N35 million for this empowerment

    “It is something we will continue to do because for those that have followed our history, it is something we have done in the past. We will continue to do it because we believe that the essence of being in public office is to drive the development of the communities and our people.

    “I am fortunate to serve under a boss who not only serves as a leader but indeed is a servant-leader.

    “Whatever you see that has happened here today has happened by the grace of Almighty God and the benevolence of Governor Oborevwori who has indeed shown leadership to all of us to copy from.”

    While commending the Works Commissioner for the gesture, Commissioner for Higher Education, Professor Nyerovwo Tonukari, thanked Izeze for adding to the MORE Agenda of Governor Oborevwori who recently paid bursary to over 35,000 students of Delta State origin.

    National Coordinator FOOSTODEY, Elvis Ahior, represented by Patrick Erhubetine said the group was partnering with Izeze as part of the believers of the MORE Agenda of the Governor.

    He said the negative outcome of the various economic polices from the center has left most people unable to meet up with the rising cost of living.

    He added that they were presenting motorbikes and a Sienna vehicle to enhance local vigilante services in partial fulfilment of the Governor’s “Enhanced Peace and Security” plank in the MORE Agenda.

    Chairman of the occasion, Dr. Ernest Ideh, expressed appreciation to the Commissioner for the massive support to the students and women of the local government.

    Also at the ceremony, President, National Association of Delta State Students, (NADESSTU), Comrade Monday Wiska, presented a certificate of commendation to Comrade Reuben Izeze in recognition of his outstanding contributions towards educational development, particularly for the financial support (bursary) to students of Delta State.

    The ceremony was attended by Commissioner for Oil and Gas, Hon. Peter Uviejitobor; chairman State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Hon. Samuel Marierie, former DESOPDEC Commissioner, Chief Kent Okiem; Olorogun Andrew Desi; Chief Oruakpor; Barr. Joshua Yarhere, Chairman, Ughievwen Democratic Assembly, Chief James Shaguolo, among others.

  • Hardship: Delta Commissioner, Izeze plans massive empowerment for women, students, others

    Hardship: Delta Commissioner, Izeze plans massive empowerment for women, students, others

    Delta State Commissioner for Works (Highways and Urban Roads), Comrade Reuben Izeze, is set to support indigent women, students, party faithful and local vigilante with cash, motorcycles, cars to cushion the effect of the rising hunger and hardship in the country in line with Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s MORE Agenda for the people.

    Izeze, in a statement made available to the press, on Wednesday, said the event will take place at the Commissioner’s residence at his home town of Oginibo in Ughelli South Local Government Area of the state, on Saturday 21st, September 2024, at 10am.

    The programme which is an annual event is in collaboration with his associates from “FOOSTODEY”.

    The statement reads: “All is now set for the disbursement of funds to the beneficiaries of the Comrade Izeze Rume Yakubu Reuben’s Empowerment Scheme for Small Scale Business Owners (Women) and Ughievwen Kingdom indigent Students in Tertiary Institutions for the 2024 academic session.

    “The event which is expected to take place at his Oginibo residence on Saturday September 21, 2024 at 10am, was put together by Comrade Reuben Yakubu Rume Izeze, the Honourable Commissioner for Works – Highways & Urban Roads in collaboration with his Associates from “FOOSTODEY”.

    “According to the programme, one hundred (100) women who engaged in small scale businesses drawn from the 34 communities in Ughievwen Kingdom are to be awarded N50,000 each to support their businesses.

    “While two hundred (200) students from Ughievwen Kingdom in various tertiary institutions in Nigeria with a minimum CGPA of 2.50 would be awarded the sum of N25,000 each as bursary support.

    “This is aimed at promoting the “OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL” plank of the Governor’s MORE Agenda.

    “Others are party faithful in Ughievwen Kingdom. They would be gifted with motorcycles and cars to enhance local Vigilante Services/activities and promote the Governor’s “Enhanced Peace & Security Plank of the MORE Agenda” in Ughievwen Kingdom.

    “The programme which is part of Comrade Izeze Reuben and his Associates ‘FOOSTODEY’s desire to give back to society is aimed at bringing the dividends of the M.O.R.E Agenda of His Excellency, Rt. Hon. (Elder) Sheriff F.O. Oborevwori’s administration to the people of Ughievwen Kingdom in particular and humanity in general.”

  • UI receives N201m education loan for 1,370 students

    UI receives N201m education loan for 1,370 students

    University of Ibadan says it has received the sum of N201,114,650 from Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) for 1,370 students of the institution for the 2023/2024 academic session.

    The university’s Director of Public Relations, Mrs Joke Akinpelu, confirmed this to NAN on Tuesday in Ibadan.

    An internal memo, dated Aug. 9 but cited on Tuesday, stated that the money was paid into the institution’s account to cover the fees of the 1,370 students who applied for the loan.

    The memo, signed by the institution’s Registrar, Mr Ganiyu Saliu, and addressed to Dean of Students, said that the bursary department was currently processing the fund to enable the concerned students obtain ‘smart receipt’.

    “Any student who is a beneficiary of the NELFUND loan and has already paid levies for the session fee is entitled to a refund.

    “To apply for a refund, the student must write through the Dean of Students to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academics, providing their account details for the refund.

    “A photocopy of the original payment receipt must be attached to each application,” the memo, entitled: ‘Re: Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND)’, stated.

    According to the registrar, the information is only for those who applied for the NELFUND loan and whose applications were approved.

  • WAEC withholds 215,267 results

    WAEC withholds 215,267 results

    The West African Examinations Council has withheld the results of 215,267 candidates from the 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination.

    This figure represents 11.92 per cent of the 1,805,216 candidates who took the examination.

    The 2024 WASSCE commenced on Tuesday, 30th April 2024, and concluded on 24th June 2024.

    Speaking on Monday while announcing the release of the 2024 WASSCE results, the Head of the Nigeria Office, WAEC, Dr Amos Dangut, stated that the results were withheld in connection with various reported cases of examination malpractice.

    He said, “The increasing use of mobile phones in the examination hall, despite the existing ban, and organised cheating in some schools, are other nagging issues. All the cases are being investigated, and reports of the investigations will be presented to the appropriate committee of the Council for consideration and final decisions.”

    He added, “The committee’s decisions will be communicated to the affected candidates through their various schools in due course. Candidates affected by these decisions can now seek redress for their malpractice cases via our website if they so wish. All hands must, therefore, be on deck to sanitise the system.”

    Dr Dangut also revealed that 73.79 per cent of candidates obtained credit or above in a minimum of any five subjects, with or without English Language and/or Mathematics. This figure represents 1,332,089 candidates out of the total 1,805,216 who sat the examination.

    He further encouraged candidates, stating, “As WASSCE for School Candidates, 2024 results are being uploaded on the results website, candidates should, after checking their results online, apply for their Digital Certificates, which will be released 48 hours thereafter.”

    He added, “Candidates who have fulfilled their financial obligations to the Council can access their results on the Council’s results website within the next 12 hours. Copies of the Result Listing will be sent to schools shortly.”

    The examination was conducted in four WAEC member countries: Nigeria, The Gambia, Sierra Leone, and Liberia.

  • UNIBEN reopens Monday, directs students to produce sworn affidavit

    UNIBEN reopens Monday, directs students to produce sworn affidavit

    University of Benin, UNIBEN is set to re-open on Aug. 11 after a period of closure occasioned by students’ protests and agitations.

    The institution’s Senate had, on July 4, announced the closure of the school, following protests by students over weeks of power outage on the campus.

    According to a circular released by the university’s Registrar, Ademola Bobola, students are expected to return to their halls of residence on Sunday, while lectures resume on Monday.

    The registrar said during the closure, the university management addressed the issues that led to the shutting down of the institution, including electricity and water supply as well as renovation of halls of residence.

    “The decision to reopen the university was made by the Senate at its meetings held on July 23 and 24, 2024, in tandem with the position of the Governing Council, critical stakeholders, and after a review of the current atmosphere in the country.

    “As part of the conditions for resumption, each returning student is required to swear an affidavit of undertaking to be of good conduct while in the university.

    “The affidavit must contain cardinal points, as captured in the document attached to the circular.

    “Students are expected to upload the sworn affidavit on their Kofa page of the university and submit the hard copy to their departmental course adviser within two weeks of resumption,” he said.

    Bobola stated that failure to comply with the directive might result in the withholding of results of defaulting students.

    He assured students that necessary actions had been taken to address the issues that led to the closure, expressing the confidence that normal academic activities would resume without any hitch.

    The registrar advised students to take note of the resumption date and comply with the conditions for resumption to avoid any consequence.

  • JUST IN: Hours to August 1 protest, FG reportedly set to disburse N850m NELFUND loans to students today

    JUST IN: Hours to August 1 protest, FG reportedly set to disburse N850m NELFUND loans to students today

    Hours to the deadline on nationwide protests, the Federal Governmeny is reportedly set to disburse a whopping ₦850 million loan to Nigerian students today amid planned August 1st protests.

    This is just as the Nigerian Educational Loan Fund (NELFUND) announced that it will disburse ₦850 million to various institutions today, Wednesday.

    This comes in addition to the ₦1.7 billion previously disbursed to approximately 20,000 students.

    Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja, the Managing Director of NELFUND, Akintunde Sawyer, revealed the details of the disbursement.

    “The sum of ₦850 million will be leaving the account of NELFUND today to institutions. This is apart from the ₦1.7 billion naira that has already been disbursed,” Sawyer stated.

    Earlier, Sawyer highlighted that institutional fees had already been disbursed to 20,000 students through their respective institutions.

    He further noted that a total of 260,000 loans, including institutional fees and upkeep, have been approved.

    Sawyer also mentioned that no fewer than 1.2 million students are expected to benefit from this cardinal programme, which is a significant initiative of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

    The educational loan scheme was launched with an initial approval of ₦35 billion by President Tinubu, following the signing of the law backing the scheme on April 3.

    The programme aims to support students in their educational pursuits by providing necessary financial aid.

    Recall the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Ebonyi State University Chapter, has criticized the Student Loan scheme by President Bola Tinubu’s government, asserting that its implementation and sustainability are not feasible.

    The Union urged for a reassessment of its demands which include enhanced funding for revitalization, and the promotion of university autonomy and academic freedom throughout the universities in the country.

    The Chairman of the EBSU-ASUU Chapter, Dr. Ikechuku Igwenyi, made these remarks during a press conference held on Monday in Abakaliki, the capital of the state.

  • Tinubu launches student loan scheme

    Tinubu launches student loan scheme

    President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday launched the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFund) in the council chamber of state House.

    After launching the portal, President Tinubu handed out symbolic cheques to students and some institutions.

    On his part, the MD/CEO of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, Akintunde Sawyerr, said the portal has received over 110, 000 loan applications so far.

    This is coming a few weeks after President Tinubu approved ₦35 billion for the scheme’s take-off, targeting 70,000 initial applicants.

    Ovia had approved the disbursement of loans to successful applicants during its inaugural meeting in Abuja last month.

    The student loan scheme seeks to provide financial support, including school fees and stipends, to eligible students nationwide.

    Over 1.2 million students are expected to benefit from the first phase of the programme.

    In attendance at the inauguration is the leadership of the National Assembly, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, some ministers, heads of agencies, and members of the board and management team of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund led by the board chairman, Jim Ovia.

     

  • KWASU expels 175 students

    KWASU expels 175 students

    The management of Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete, says it has expelled 175 students for various offences.

    This is contained in a statement issued by the Director of  University Relations, Dr Saeedat Aliyu, on Tuesday.

    The university management said that the expulsion approval followed the recommendations of the Students’ Disciplinary Committee, which held sittings between Oct. 2021 and March 2024.

    The management said  the expelled students were penalised for offences ranging from examination malpractice, theft, using fake results to gain admission, assault, fraud, belonging to unregistered associations and possession of firearm.

    ”The management of KWASU wishes to reiterate its zero-tolerance for all acts of indiscipline as the institution stands firm on producing graduates, who are excellent both in character and in learning,” Aliyu said.

  • BREAKING: UNIBEN shut down academic activities indefinitely

    BREAKING: UNIBEN shut down academic activities indefinitely

    The authorities of the University of Benin (UNIBEN), on Thursday shut down academic activities in the institution indefinitely.

    The university in a statement by its Public Relations Officer, Dr Benedicta Ehanire, attributed the decision to the refusal of the students of to shift grounds on their demands.

    Recall that the students on Wednesday took to the streets, blocking the ever-busy Benin-Ore Highway to protest weeks of power outage on campus.

    The students, who had two weeks until their first semester examination, said the situation was severely affecting their preparation.

    The students also called for a downward review of transport fare by the UNIBEN shuttle service, which was increased with effect from July 1.

    The university was thrown into a blackout by the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) following the inability to reach agreement over contentious electricity billings.

    The monthly bill was said to have jumped from about N80 million to between N200 and N280 million, forcing the university to resort to power generators as well as rationalisation of power on the two campuses and hostels.

    When a NAN correspondent spoke with the protesting students amidst heavy rainfall, they were hellbent on continuing the rampage unless their demands are met.

    But in the notice of closure made available, Ehanire described the students’ demand for 1,125-hour  supply of electricity as unrealistic.

    “Following the insistence of students of the University of Benin to shift grounds on their demands for twenty four hours supply of electricity and more, considered unrealistic by the University’s Senate, the University has shut down academic activities indefinitely.

    “Students are to vacate the hostels immediately while all the relevant units of the University are to take note and comply.

    “However, non teaching staff and staff on essential duties are not affected by the shut down,” said the university’s spokesperson.

  • KWASU sanctions students for inappropriate skit

    KWASU sanctions students for inappropriate skit

    The Management of Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete, said it has disabled the portal of a male student allegedly involved in a skit where he was seen making inappropriate contact with females.

    The Acting Director, University Relations, Dr Saeedat Aliyu, said in a statement on Wednesday that the disabling of the portal was a first-line punitive measure, pending the outcome of investigation by the Student Disciplinary Committee.

    She added that the skits were not a reflection of the values of the institution, nor do they reflect the ethical orientation of the larger number of KWASU students.

    “KWASU is an institution that prides itself as producing the total graduate, both in character and in learning, and has zero tolerance for any form of indiscipline.”

    Aliyu stated that the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Jimoh Shaykh-Luqman gave the directive of disabling the concerned student’s portal as a first-line punitive measure pending the outcome of investigation by the Student Disciplinary Committee.

    “We wish to reiterate that KWASU holds in high esteem the values of decency that all religions promote and will not condone any act that can joepardise this value,” she said.