Cross River State Governor Ben Ayade yesterday launched the first dry run for the 2022 Carnival Calabar, marking the return of the event after the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020.
This year’s carnival has ‘Agro-Industrialisation’ as the theme.
Ayade said the theme of the carnival was carefully chosen to send a message to the global community that Africans could depend on themselves for food.
He decried the high dependence for food by African countries on western nations despite the vast arable land God had blessed the continent with, saying: “Agro-Industrialisation is indeed the way to go.
“Today, we have great reasons to celebrate because Cross River is gathered yet again, to invent the charm that characterises creativity.
“The theme for this year is ‘Agro-Industrilisation’ and indeed, Agro-Industrialisation is the way to go.
“For any nation committed and serious, this is the way to go. The greatest insecurity is hunger. There is no insecurity more threatening to man than the insecurity of hunger.
“The war between Ukraine and Russia led to scarcity of grains. This means that by the onset of 2023, the nation will be in big trouble.
“Therefore, I see a harbinger of scarcity, hunger and pain, grinding people to their zenith in terms of criminality and animalism,” he said.
He used to occasion to reiterate his support and commitment towards the return of power to the southern senatorial district of the state in 2023.
The Executive Secretary of Calabar Carnival Commission, Mr. Austin Cobham, described the dry run as the mother of all dry run due to the additional bands in the carnival.
He said the presence of the service commanders in the state showed Cross River was ready to host the world.
Cobham congratulated Ayade for expanding the carnival bands from five to seven, which he said was creating avenue for more participation.
He hailed the governor for the theme, saying it could not have come at any other time than now that the world was going through a period of war and growing insecurities after being ravaged by COVID-19.
“The only way that the world will survive has actually proved to be agro-indistrialisation,” he said.
There were more than 4,000 revelers on the 12-kilometre routes, which attracted hundreds of spectators.
In attendance at the launch were lawmakers from the House of Assembly, Mr. Edem Duke, a former minister of Culture and Tourism, Sen. Florence Ita-Giwa, among others.
The seven competing bands are: Seagull, Passion 4, Masta Blasta, Bayside, Freedom, Diamond and Calas Vegas.
A group, Centre for Psychic and Healing Administration (CPHA) of Nigeria, has concluded arrangement to lead Ndigbo in the Southeast and beyond to seek God’s intervention for Igbo nation to regain its position in the Nigerian project.
Founder Ifeanyichukwu Ilonzo made this known in Awka, Anambra State capital.
She said the prayer summit, which would also involve Igbo personalities, including former Anambra State governor Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, had become expedient to cleanse the desecrated land occasioned by killings, kidnappings and other crimes.
Describing 2022 as ‘number six’ for Ndigbo, Ilonze, popularly called ‘Anyafulugo’ in Igboland, said Ndigbo needed to engage in prayers for them to actualise the leadership position they yearned for.
She said the proposed summit tagged: ‘Ihu Igbo Ohuru’, slated for October 22 at Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu, would remove every obstacle capable of hindering Ndigbo from getting back to their rightful position.
Ilonze said: “Three weeks before Appeal Court judgment on Nnamdi Kanu, I told a set of interviewers that there would be surprises about Kanu’s detention, and his discharge and acquittal have confirmed this.”
Parishioners in Anambra State yesterday held a Mass without priests.
This followed a rift between the Holy Ghost priests and the Catholic Bishop over relieving them of their rights.
The problem is at St Martin of Tours Parish, Ihiala and the leadership of Nnewi Diocese.
The Bishop of the Nnewi Diocese, Most Rev. Jonas Benson Okoye, had withdrawn the Faculty of the five Holy Ghost Priest, for alleged insubordination.
The priests are prohibited from celebrating Mass in any church in Nnewi Diocese in the meantime.
Although the priests were still in their residences in the parish yesterday, none of them attempted to come out to celebrate the Sunday service in obedience to the directive of the Bishop.
Similarly, the diocesan priests allegedly posted to the parish were also not seen, thus forcing the congregation to conduct the service themselves without anyone presiding.
One of the parishioners, who spoke with The Nation, said: “Everything normally done during Masses was done today, except the Eucharistic consecration, which is the sole function of a priest.”
According to the source, “those for the 6am Mass were there and they celebrated it, likewise those for 8am and 10 am Masses.
“All the readings for the day were taken and the prayers of the faithful were also taken.
“During the prayers of the faithful, those who performed it prayed for God’s intervention in the crisis in our parish.”
The Nation, however, gathered that many parishioners of St Martin of Tours parish attended Masses at nearby parishes, even as they prayed for quick resolution of the crisis.
The former director of Communications of Nnewi Diocese, Rev Fr. Hyginus Aghaulo, said the Bishop was right on his decision on the development at Ozubulu in Ekwusigo Local Government.
He added: “The Spiritans claim that Archbishop Heerey gave it (parish) to them in 1967. That was under 1917 Code, but Canon 6 of 1983 Code abrogated the 1917 Code, which was amended in 1983 Code.
“But there is no evidence that such happened. Thirdly, 1983 Code abolished making a moral person now juridic person a pastor. Now to be appointed a pastor, the person must be a physical person and be in priesthood.
“Even if a parish is given to a juridic person even in soliduum, the Diocesan Bishop must appoint one of them the proper pastor.
“Fourthly, under 1917 Code, when such grant was instituted, there was an express need for apostolic indult in order to have the character of perpetuity.
“The 1983 Code gives the discretion and right of free conferral on diocesan bishops and those equivalent to them in law in line with canons 368 and 381, in the spiritual task of appointing pastors.
“Thus, the diocesan can freely appoint and freely fire. He can freely create and freely suppress parishes without recourse to existing customs, grants and centennial or immemorial bequests and grants.”
Aghaulo said religious institutes, by virtue of their juridic personality, were not distinctively and naturally destined for parish administration.
“That religious are made pastors is a grant, privilege and at the discretion of the Bishop because of dearth of secular clergy and for missionary cooperation and therefore should not be a matter for claims.
“Even where they are given a parish, a written agreement must stipulate the particular personnel and confirmation of the proper pastor by the diocese’s Bishop.”
The leadership of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), operating at the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC), Osisioma Depot in Osisioma Local Government of Abia State, has urged the state and federal governments to address the deplorable nature of Ekeakpara-NNPC road.
The road from Enugu-Aba-Port Harcourt expressway axis has been impassible over the years, forcing tanker drivers to use alternative routes to access the NNPC depot.
The deplorable nature of the road, which also serves as a major link road to Osisioma Local Government and Osisioma Police Divisional Headquarters, has equally forced workers of the state and federal government agencies to access their offices through another access road, off Enugu-Aba-Port Harcourt expressway.
Transport fares from Osisioma junction to Osisioma Council headquarters, Osisioma Police Station, NNPC Depot and other parts of the area have risen by 100 per cent.
Sources, who pleaded anonymity, told our correspondent that the high rate of crime in Ekeapkara, despite the presence of the Divisional Police Station and Mopol 55 Base, would be attributed to the deplorable nature of Ekeakpara road.
The sources said the deplorable nature of the road hindered swift response of the police and the army to crime scene and in some cases, officers of the security agencies would not attempt responding to distress calls because of the inaccessible nature of the terrain of the crime scene.
Speaking in an interview, the IPMAN Chairman, Osisioma Depot, Mr. Oliver Okolo, said: “We as IPMAN have been trying in our own little way to see what we can do so that our truck can pass. We have been trying all these while, but the situation is overwhelming, in fact, it has overwhelmed us.
“We are appealing to the state and federal governments, including NNPC that their facility is located here to come and rescue us.
“We find it very difficult to come to our secretariat.
“This is the only depot that is abysmally functioning in the whole of the country. Enugu Depot has been down for over 15 years.
“This is only depot that turns out product once in a while in the Southeast and because of this road, there is no reasonable economic activity happening within this area.”
Other road users and shop owners in the area, corroborating the IPMAN chairman, said the bad road had cut off the economic activities of people of Osisioma Local Government, adding that their farm produce had become rotten, as there were no access roads to move them to Aba and nearby cities.
Ebonyi State Governor David Umahi has suspended the traditional ruler of Isinkwo community in Onicha Local Government, Mr. Josephat Ikengwu, over ongoing killings in his domain.
Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr. Kenneth Ugbala, said yesterday in Abakaliki that the suspension of the traditional ruler was with immediate effect.
Ugbala noted that Ikengwu had failed in his responsibility to stop the killings in the community.
“Consequently, he is to return all government property in his possession, including his official vehicle, to the SSG on or before close of work on Monday, October 17, 2022,” Ugbala said.
A former member of the House of Representatives from Edo State, Razak Bello-Osagie, has said that, by God’s grace, the presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, with capacity, will emerge victorious on February 25 next year, and succeed President Muhammadu Buhari on May 29.
He also stated that the governing APC has a sellable standard bearer, while describing Asiwaju Tinubu as a detribalised Nigerian.
Bello-Osagie, who is also the Chairman of the Campaign Council of the APC in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo, spoke over the weekend in Benin, at the inauguration of the 36-member campaign council, which was performed by the state’s Secretary of the party, Lawrence Okah, with candidates of the party in the local government area also in attendance.
The chairman of the campaign council said: “We have very good presidential candidate in Asiwaju Tinubu, whose actions over the years have confirmed that he is a man who believes in the philosophy of progressivism.
“I want to seek your cooperation, because with your cooperation, it is possible, since APC’s presidential candidate is tested, competent, with clear vision, and has capacity to govern Nigeria from May 29, 2023.
“Asiwaju Tinubu has made many people across Nigeria, and he is the architect of the foundation of Lagos that everybody is now talking about. Lagos is the fourth largest economy in Africa. Asiwaju Tinubu is always looking out for the best.”
Bello-Osagie also stated that by the grace of God, APC would produce the next president of Nigeria, while describing it as the party to beat in 2023.
He urged APC members to work within the rules set by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), with more emphasis to be placed on marketing the party and its candidates.
Chairman of the campaign council thanked the leadership of APC for finding him and other members of the campaign council worthy to carry out the assignment, which he said, by the grace of God, would be a success.
He said: “Let me plead with all of us that this is an important assignment. We need your commitment, dedication, sincerity and discipline to get the work done.
“February 2023 is around the corner. A lot of work must be done. We have the capacity to win the 2023 elections. Whether you are members of the campaign council or not, you are critical stakeholders in this party.”
APC’s candidate for Oredo constituency in the House of Representatives, Osaro Obazee, and the party’s candidate for Oredo West constituency in Edo House of Assembly, Gabriel Iduseri, while speaking with reporters, expressed optimism of emerging victorious during the general elections.
The devastating flood in Bayelsa could have been worse for some people, especially pregnant women and children but for the intervention of the Goldcoast Developmental Foundation, Mike Odigwe reports
As flood waters continue to submerge homes, farmlands and other sources of livelihood in Bayelsa, nursing mothers and kids in the state have every reason to thank God as they have been saved from the menace of the disaster courtesy of the efforts of a Non-governmental organization, the Goldcoast Developmental Foundation.
The foundation which was established about 10 years ago, has at the core of its focus, education, health, youth empowerment/development, including talent discovery and care for the elderly as well as the less privileged people in the society. All of these it has successfully achieved with the assistance of willing partners and like minds.
However, the foundation took its activities a notch higher when it decided to rescue pregnant women and kids, who were considered to be more vulnerable during this flood season. The foundation has established a temporary shelter home, the first of its kind in the state, dedicated for them and ensured that the victims have a roof over their head with nothing to worry about.
According to some of the nursing mothers, the temporary shelter was more than a home for them. They said the foundation’s gesture has erased the pains they would have gone through if they had stayed in other crowded camps set up for flood victims.
Explaining her experience, one of the nursing mothers, Rita Wori Abade said “the flood took over our environment, where I sleep, my bedroom, the street and I had no where to sleep, that was why I came to the temporary shelter home. They are doing good job and I appreciate them. They have been feeding us very well from the time we arrived.
“For our babies, they gave us diapers, wrappers, wipes, foodstuff and the rest, medical care. It has been a wonderful experience and God will continue to bless and provide for them”.
Another nursing mother, Precious Priscilla Terther while narrating her experience at the temporary shelter home, said she doesn’t feel like returning to her home even when the flood recedes.
“The flood made me and my family to come here. I thank God for the great privileged to be among those that were lucky to come here. They have been wonderful, attending to our needs and making sure we do not lack anything.
“They brought medical team to take care of us, fed us, they do all sorts of things for us, to help us go through this period. We are so grateful and may God continue to bless them, the workers, the founders may God bless all of you in Jesus name. Amen.”
Realizing the good intentions of the foundation, the Bayelsa Specialist Hospital (BSH), offered to provide a comprehensive medical support to those in the shelter home. Officials of the hospital said their decision was complimentary.
Chief Executive Officer of the hospital, Mrs Cynthia Oye Isang in an interview said: “my team and I came here to contribute our little quota to this group of nursing mothers who were also affected by the flood. The effect of the flood is adverse, we can not deny that fact, and a lot of people have been displaced, so you can only imagine how stressful it is for nursing mothers to cater for their infants in this kind of condition.
“So, as a health care facility, we decided to come out to see what we can do to support the women. We are doing a couple of things. First of all the sensitisation of all the nursing mothers, to remind them and prompt them to take proper health care measures during this period.
“We also stepped out to encourage them with a word of support and our team are on standby, to make sure that we test them for malaria and other basic ailments, so that appropriate treatment could be prescribed if any, but generally just to give them a ray of hope that all is well”.
The coordinator of the Goldcoast Development Foundation Ms Brenda Izu, told our correspondent that they were driven by passion and the need to offer help when needed, adding that their little efforts were encouraged and supported by some individuals, organizations and the Bayelsa State Government.
“We were grateful to be supported by the Bayelsa State Government, the Bayelsa Specialist Hospital, the State Emergency Management Agency, FIDA Bayelsa, the Gloria Diri Foundation, Nigeria Red cross, Bayelsa, Women-IN INC central zone, Beautiful Minds initiative and so many others,” she said.
Minister of States for Petroleum Resources Timipre Sylva will proffer solutions to the menace of oil theft and economic diversification at the 7th Anniversary Lecture/Niger Delta Awards 2022 of GbaramatuVoice newspaper in Abuja next Tuesday.
Governors Duoye Diri (Bayelsa) and Samuel Ortom (Borno) as well as the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Mallam Mele Kyari, will be special guests of honour at the event.
Publisher and Chief Executive Officer of the newspaper, Jacob Abai, announced in a statement.
The lecture is scheduled for Tuesday, August 30 at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja.
Sylva, who is the keynote speaker, will speak on the theme: ‘Oil, politics, securing national assets, dependency and diversification’ at the lecture chaired by presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prince Adewole Adebayo.
Delta Deputy Governor Kingsley Otuaro, will be the chief host while others expected include Dr. Efiong Akwa, Interim Administrator, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC); Engr. Simbi Wabote, Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB); Engr. Gbenga Komolafe, Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Upstream Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and Mr. Richard Kennedy, Chairman/Managing Director, Chevron Nigeria Limited.
It further stated that traditional rulers from the Niger Delta, captain of industries, government functionaries among others, will also grace the occasion.
“The anniversary lecture will centre on critical new research themes as sustainable development goals in the Niger Delta. Its deliberations will address all spectra of analyses including the oil and gas industry.
“The GbaramatuVoice annual lecture has a rich history of promoting national unity, recognizing the good works of various individuals that have positively imprinted their names in various areas of human endeavors while contributing to the life chances of humanity,” part of the statement said.
Established in 2015, the newspaper continues to serve as a bridge between Niger Delta communities and the rest of the world.
Ebonyi: Gunmen attack PDP women in Abakaliki, disrupt meeting
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Gunmen on Saturday attacked hundreds of women holding their August meeting programme in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital.
The incident happened at the Peoples Club along the Abakaliki-Enugu Highway in Abakaliki.
The meeting was said to have been convened by a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stalwart, Nwakego Emmanuel, popularly known as Ego Bekee to empower the women.
The women were said to have gathered from the 13 local government areas of the state in their hundreds when the gunmen stormed the venue.
They immediately started shooting sporadically into the air forcing the women to scamper for safety in various directions.
At the time of this report, it was not immediately clear if any of the women sustained any injuries or if they were arrested.
However, sources said some persons were bundled away from the venue by the gunmen.
Journalists from various media houses who were invited to cover the event were also chased away from the venue and threatened with an attack if they tried to record the gunmen’s actions.
The gunmen were said to have also carted away the canopies and chairs at the venue to an unknown destination.
The women, it was gathered, have regrouped at the campaign office of the governorship candidate of the PDP, Ifeanyichukwu Ọdịi to continue with the event.
A rumour that the attackers were members of the Ebonyi chapter of Ebubeagu Southeast Security Outfit, could not be substantiated as Security Consultant to the state government, Stanley Emegha, who is in charge of Ebubeagu, could not be reached for comments.
He did not take calls to his phone.
Police Spokesperson, Chris Anyanwu said he was not aware of the incident at the time of this report.
In this report, Samuel Ajala visited the five South-East states and interrogated students, teachers, parents, government officials and stakeholders in an attempt to unearth how education has been impacted by the weekly sit-at-home order in the region.
*Chibuzor Daniel, 18, was doing perfectly well in his studies at Day Secondary School, Enugu State. He maintained second position in his class until the incessant sit-at-home order in the South-East broke out. Now, he performs woefully in academics, coming tenth in his last examination.
“The sit-at-home has made me lose focus in my lessons. Mondays are usually referred to as the second and most important day of the week.
“It has contributed to my poor reading techniques. Before, I usually read well and understood due to the Monday lesson in the class,” says Daniel, who lives with a guardian because his parents couldn’t afford his school fees.
“Now even our teachers are no longer completing their scheme of work which fails students in the uniform examination because the most important day of the week is no longer there for us.
Front gate of Day Secondary School, Independence Layout, Enugu State. Photocredit: Samuel Ajala
“If this sitting at home on Monday continues like this, I am afraid more of us will keep losing focus on our studies. It might also lead to examination malpractice which is not a good moral value to us because we have a short time to take classes now, “he lamented.
Daniel is one out of over thousands of students in the South-East who stay at home every Monday because of the sit-at-home declaration in the region. Since the Monday sit-at-home order was declared in the South-East on September 25, 2021, it has been observed for 60 days, excluding the days Nnamdi Kanu made an appearance in court.
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) declared a sit-at-home order to protest against the Federal Government’s trial of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
Picture showing a lonely road during observation of sit-at-home order on Monday in Independence Layout Road, Enugu State. PhotoCredit: Samuel Ajala
According to the group, shutting down shops, schools, and public and private sectors every Monday will force the Federal Government to drop all charges against the IPOB leader and even consider granting the separatist group’s wish to secede from Nigeria.
Since the declaration, the education of primary schools, secondary school students, and undergraduates is presently affected as they are forced to skip school on Mondays because officials avoid school over the fear of being harassed or maimed.
As it is, every Monday, while pupils and students and teachers in different parts of the country attend schools, their counterparts in the South-East avoid going to school for security reasons, thereby drawing back the education of the people from the region.
Last September, gunmen suspected of being members of IPOB attacked Comprehensive Secondary School, Nkume, in Imo State. The students were preparing to sit for the English Language paper in the ongoing Junior Secondary School Examination before the gunmen forcefully dispersed them to enforce the sit-at-home order.
However, several announcements of cancellation of the order by IPOB, some state governors and deployment of security operatives, have not deterred the enforcement.
Ikengaonline report explicitly tells how students’ education in secondary school and tertiary institutions has become grossly affected due to the incessant sit-at-home order, making learning out of reach for thousands of students in the region every Monday and sometimes other weekdays. Teachers, parents, and other key stakeholders recount their experiences of how the order results in poor learning outcomes and contributes to out-of-school dropouts for students.
While speaking to students, teachers, parents and community people, Ikengaonline discovers that in Enugu, Imo and Anambra State, there is total enforcement of the sit-at-home order on Mondays. Still, in Abia and Ebonyi State, some areas have partial enforcement, especially in villages, for fear of being attacked by unknown gunmen (UGM).
Students recount how incessant sit-at-home policy causes academic setbacks
*Onu Chigozie, 14, who attends Day Secondary School in Enugu State, said the sit-at-home on Monday has led to a setback in his studies. “Before the sit at home started, I always used Mondays to read thoroughly. I never let any day slip past me without reading, but now the case is different,” says Emmanuel, whose father is a retired worker and mother a petty trader.
“It has also shortened my day of going to school and reduced the time my teacher gives us lessons in the school,” he lamented.
*Godwin Chineye, 15, another student in Day Secondary School, said while she is at home on Monday observing the order, instead of reading, she ends up doing house chores for her guardian throughout the day.
Chineye further said her Monday lesson in school has stopped; now, she has limited time to study. She complained that teachers spent less than two hours meeting up with the topics and covering the scheme of work.
“It has also changed the pattern of exams in my school including mid-term tests because every Monday we would be told about our mid-term test with the subject listed and how it would start and also give the timetable that Monday but now the timetable will come out on Tuesday and we will write that same day.”
*Ihesiaba Isabella, 15, a Metropolitan College, Onitsha, Anambra State student, said the Monday observation affects most students’ academic performance, not just herself.
Students at the entrance of Metropolitan College Onitsha, Anambra State, standing at the school gate. Photocredit: Samuel Ajala
She also said that most times in her school, they could not complete their scheme of work for Mathematics, which they cannot attend due to the Monday sit-at-home.
“Subjects like mathematics, which is compulsory, also stopped us from observing our midterm break this year.”
*Olu Victory, 17, a student of Nkende Secondary School, Owerri West, said as a result of the sit-at-home policy, she has not been able to learn the subjects she loves very much, literature. Her literature class is scheduled for Mondays, but with the advent of the sit-at-home policy, he has not been attending literature classes again.
“As a result of the sit-at-home order, we have to transfer it (Literature class) to another day, and other teachers who have been allocated those periods will not allow the teacher to teach us literature.”
Victory, who works outside school as a tailor with her guardian, urges the federal and state governments to immediately end the sit-at-home on Mondays.
*Ikechukwu Charles, 18, from Nekede Secondary School, Owerri West, said he uses the sit-at-home every Monday to read books. Lucky, who is preparing for his WAEC, said his teachers are trying to adjust the timetable so they can cover up for missed teachings on Mondays.
“The sit-at-home order has truly been affecting me. Staying at home all Monday has affected our timetable in the sense that we are missing out on what we are supposed to learn and staying at home doing nothing. We look up to the state or Federal Government to intervene and help in any way they can help.
Aside from secondary students being affected, tertiary institutions in South-East students were also affected by the sit-at-home order on Mondays before the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike started on February 14, 2022. This action has continued to elongate the academic calendar of public universities in the region and, by extension, the duration of students’ courses.
Sit-at-home policy hampers students, parents’ business
There are no accurate data on the economic losses from the sit-at-home order; five states in the region and beyond suffer from the enforced lockdown. Chukwuma Soludo, Anambra State governor, recently said his state lost N19.6 billion to the sit-at-home order every Monday.
In 2021, Dave Umahi, the Ebonyi State governor, said the entire South-East region lost over N10bn each time it observed the sit-at-home order.
However, it turns out that the sit-at-home affects not only student studies but also the business of some students and parents struggling to make ends meet; students juggle academics and business, but with the sit-at-home declaration, their means of livelihood are hampered.
18, *Ezekiel Maris, in Day Secondary School, Enugu State, runs a small ‘moi-moi’ business with her elder sister outside school. She makes very little money from hawking to feed and pay her school fees of N3,050. With the sit-at-home every Monday, she makes a smaller profit, barely enough for her needs.
Maris also laments that the expected time for school dismissal has been extended, giving her very little time to carry out other activities she does before the sit-at-home order starts.
“To meet up with the state academic calendar, our schools started having classes on Saturday, giving students more stress and also affecting some religious activities that take place on Saturdays.”
Another student, *Ekuyemba Gift, of Metropolitan College, Onitsha, Anambra, said the sit-at-home order had hampered her father’s business. She said her father, who is the family’s breadwinner and pays her school fees, now has a dwindling source of income.
“Like my Dad who happens to be an upholstery maker, he doesn’t go to work on Mondays which has its effect on our income, my mum who is also a teacher does not get to teach on Monday which reduces the way she teaches in her school.
Gift, who pleaded for the cancellation of the sit-at-home policy, also added that observing it has instilled fear in her and everybody around her who runs the risk of being attacked by unknown gunmen.
Teachers, parents say sit-at-home policy draws students from the region backwards in terms of learning outcomes
Ugochukwu Israel, 23, teaches at Day Secondary School, Independent Layout, Enugu State; he said the sit-at-home makes him work extra days during the week.
Mr Israel said the sit-at-home order had disrupted his class’s academic calendar. “But it has been a major problem over here because when you try to cover for a lot of time, you have to cover for your schedule, and in a week, you are left with only two or three days to complete.
“The work that you should be doing for a week is taking you, on average, three weeks to complete.”
On the part of students, he said, “The students have lost concentration, are too tired to concentrate, and are too lazy to write or study. Some of my students have stopped attending school.”
Nancy Alex, 25, who teaches at Divine Favour International Group of Schools, Bende Local Government, Abia State, said she uses the sit-at-home day to prepare for her next class.
“I’m always bored at home; it also prepares me for my next class. I can’t meet up with my scheme of work for the term because my classes for Monday (sit-at-home) are ruled out. The students are unable to meet up with the scheme of work.”
Ezetulogo Michael, 26, a teacher at Metropolitan College, Onitsha, Anambra State, stressed that the Monday sit-at-home order is barbaric and devilish because it ignores the value of education. Mr Michael said the students’ academics are currently being disrupted due to its bad effect.
“This is because when you subtract the number of Mondays from the number of days in a year, or the number of Mondays in a month, you will see just how terribly the students have suffered and how far behind they are in their academic pursuits.”
“This sit-at-home policy has also ingrained some level of irreverence and criminality in the students’ minds.”
“Monday, which used to be a working day, has become ineffective for us due to the sit-at-home order. Rather than being in our respective schools, we will be at home doing nothing. There will be no movement or other activities because people are too afraid to leave their homes,” he said while reacting to how the observation has affected teachers.
He urged the Federal Government to intervene to end the sit-at-home observation to save the students’ lives, improve their future, and enhance their academic lifestyles.
“However, if Monday’s sit-at-home day and other days like it continue, I would gladly tell you that the students’ lives and future, as well as those of the teachers’, are in jeopardy.”
Aja Emmanuel, a senior teacher from Comprehensive Secondary School, Unwana Afikpo, Ebonyi State, said the teachers and students had been affected by the sit-at-home order.
Mr Emmanuel, a father of three, said students who don’t attend school every Monday sometimes become sluggish. “Some of them fall behind in some areas. And as a teacher, you are aware that every school has a set curriculum that has been planned, with each subject being scheduled for a specific day. For example, if the subject that is supposed to be taught on Monday is not taught, the academic pursuit will be delayed, delaying the lesson that was supposed to be taught.
“Most of the time, teachers who feel compelled to cover all of the materials may not have the chance to do so. This jeopardises the students’ academic success because the students who missed the material will eventually fall behind if no precautions are taken.”
Mr Emmanuel called on the government to identify the issue, individuals stirring up the situation, and bring them to put an end to it once and for all.
However, he expressed fear that the Monday observation might encourage students to engage in immoral activities. He said, “when they are in school, the hours they spend there help limit all the immoral activities they might engage in. When there is no school, students will be involved in one or two activities that could affect their future depending on the situation.”
Ngozi Itanyi, a parent with four children who also doubles as a teacher, said the sit-at-home order has made her children lazy. She said the observation is eroding the value of education in the community.
Mrs Itanyi said the issue is becoming more complicated because most parents cannot provide a safe space for their children to learn from home.
She feared some students might become school dropouts due to the sit-at-home order if the situation is not handled as soon as possible.
“As of right now, I can see that some people in our community no longer value education, some skip tests and exams, and some even refuse to attend classes altogether because they believe Nnamdi Kanu will go to court.
“They now treat school-related activities with nonchalance. The youngsters are frustrated because they now believe it is pointless to rely on the government for their stay at home.”
School principal’s reaction
Ikengaonline spoke to about ten principals in South-East schools in an attempt to get their reactions on how the sit-at-home policy affects learning outcomes of their students but majority of them refused to speak officially out of fear of losing their jobs because they are civil servants.
*Maryane, a secondary school principal in Enugu State who pleaded for anonymity, said the sit-at-home order puts students in the South-East at a disadvantage compared to their peers who attend school every working day of the week in other parts of the country.
She said, “We have been observing sit-at-home every Monday since you are a corper here, and I know that you are aware of what is occurring in Enugu state and throughout the Igbo states because of our brother Nnamdi Kanu.
“We do not mince words by claiming that it does not affect us; even the unborn child is aware that it does; in addition to not attending school, we avoid going to the markets, so it is not something we enjoy; nobody is enjoying it.
“However, we are at a loss as to what to do as the government has refused to release him; what has he done in this nation to earn the title of worst criminal in all of Nigeria. What has happened to the murderers of the people who are being killed every day? Has Nnamdi ever killed anyone? No. If so, why have they kept him captive for so long while we all suffer?
“Although there is freedom of speech and religion in this democratic nation, he is not free. The largest market in Enugu, Ogbete, is closed on Mondays, so we know it affects more than just school vendors. No government office opens on Mondays, so it’s not just all about schools. Anambra State, the entirety of Onitsha Market doesn’t open on Mondays; Imo, Abia, Ebonyi, people are suffering, so it’s not just all about schools, that’s all I can say.”
In another interview with Ofodile Livian, a school principal in Magnet International School, Enugu State, she expressed disappointment over students’ inability to maximise the sit-at-home order days to their academic advantage. She said students have resorted to cheating instead of learning to succeed in their academic pursuits.
“They ought to take themselves and their school attendance more seriously. If they are ordered to stay home on Monday, were they ordered not to study their books? That is not hurting them; instead, it is internal pressures rather than all these external influences. There is a limit to how much external influences may influence someone, but what really pulls a man down is an inside force.
“They like to cheat; therefore, I can’t tell you what they learned. Their attention is all on cheating, not knowing anything, so their learning outcome is zero. The modern world revolves around your level of connectivity; if you have strong connections, you will succeed.
“The only way it affects them is because the curriculum, which was supposed to be taught from Monday through Friday, is now condensed and is only being worked on from Tuesday through Friday. That’s all I have to say.”
Principals’ national body also keeps mum
When our reporter interviewed the President of All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS), Muhamad Ibn Musa, he said he couldn’t talk about the happenings in the region because he was not there. Mr Muhammad referred our reporter to speak with the zonal coordinator of the body in the South-East, Livinus Ezeah, a school principal.
However, when Mr Livinus was reached via phone, he refused to react to the story out of fear of being victimised by the state government. He confirmed that the students were affected but asked for a letter of permission from the state Commissioner of Education before he could grant an official interview.
Incessant sit-at-home could increase out-of-school children in southeast
Nigeria has the highest number of out-of-school children in the world. According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), more than 18.5 million children in Nigeria have no access to education, with girls accounting for more than half the number. In 2021, gunmen abducted around 1,500 schoolchildren, with 16 students losing their lives.
Most young hostages have been released after negotiations, but some remain in forest hideouts in captivity. UNICEF said more than 11,000 schools have closed in Nigeria due to insecurity since December 2020.
A report noted in the South-East, the number of boys shunning school is also alarmingly increasing. The dropout rate in primary schools across the country is 30 percent, while only 54 percent transit to Junior Secondary Schools.
National Coordinator of Education Rights Campaign (ERC), a non-governmental organisation, Hassan Soweto, in an exclusive interview with Ikengaonline, said that the cumulative effects of the Monday restriction would impact the learning outcomes, one of which is enrollment and retention. He said the poor educational outcomes could result in an increase in school dropout rates for the region.
“Some parents may not want their children to travel far from home to go to school since this may impair the child’s ability to enrol in, or complete their educational program in the future. This is especially true for parents whose children have become victims of the violence associated with the enforcement.
“Because of their dread following their experience, they are unlikely to be ready to enable any of their other children to attend a school or any school that is far from their houses. In a certain sense, it may have an impact on enrollment and result in poor educational outcomes, such as an increase in school dropout rates.”
Talking about the implication of the sit-at-home observation, he said, “The students won’t be able to complete all the courses or subjects that are required of them in a given institution, which is the ultimate implication of this.
“The Monday limitation also has an adverse effect in that it frequently causes fear and violence when it is put into effect. Then there are international agreements that require governments to guarantee school children’s safety both on their way to and from class.
“Nigeria has ratified several of these conventions, and as a result of the actions of those who are implementing and enforcing the Monday restrictions, particularly due to the use of violence, We have heard of incidents in which this aggression has hurt students and in the South-East, schoolchildren’s right to safety on their journey to and from school has been seriously violated.
“Due to the anxiety that comes with going to school because of the Monday restrictions, many students are also experiencing psychological trauma due to all of these factors, which can also impact their learning process and other things. That is yet another way that I believe the Monday restrictions are having an impact on students.
“Additionally, it refers to the student’s capacity to successfully compete in these external exams against students from other parts of the nation and from west Africa who are also taking them in the South-East.
“We shouldn’t be surprised if in the upcoming years we start to see extremely poor learning outcomes in the South-East in terms of retention, overall performance in external examinations, and even in terms of enrollment because all of the things that have been mentioned have significant impact on learning outcomes. These will be our defending areas where the Monday sit-at-home order has negatively impacted education in the South-East.
The activist berates the efforts of the government, ministry of education, Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB), West African Examination Council (WAEC), or Nigeria Examination Council (NECO) to save students in the entire region from the situation.
“To the best of my ability, the government has shown no concern for the situation we have described, in which the Monday sit-at-home rule is enforced violently, causing children to miss class time and become victims of violence, as well as teachers to suffer injuries or even death in some cases.
“In general, the government has shown no interest in any of this. As opposed to doing what the army and police typically do, which is to descend on innocent members of the public, harassing, arresting, or even killing them under the guise of seeking out gunmen, the government has instead been adding to the climate of fear and violence in the region by ordering police and military action.
“Therefore, the Federal Government’s utterly illogical and dictatorial approach to the problem, which maintains that people have no right to even call for secession, has kept the agitation going and ensured that the violence and crisis persist. Unfortunately, this is not helping the students in the region, whose education is being affected by the persistence of the crisis.”
Educational body reaction
Based on the last ranking of states in the West African Examination Council (WAEC), South-East states – Abia and Anambra – top the chart in first and second position with the best performance in the 2018 examination. Imo, Enugu and Ebonyi came fifth, ninth, and tenth, respectively. Since 2018, no state-by-state ranking has been released by WAEC to ascertain the official performance level of students affected by the sit-at-home order.
There is no clear data to ascertain whether students’ performance in the South-East in NECO or JAMB has reduced to justify the poor learning outcomes. However, experts who spoke with Ikengaonline said the incessant sit-at-home order might result in poor academic performance in the nearest future if it’s not cancelled.
At the time of filing this report, all attempts to get to the Federal Ministry of Education through the spokesperson, Ben Bem Goong, and Jamb Spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, through calls and text messages were unsuccessful, as our reporter didn’t get any response.
*Names with asterisks have been changed to protect subjects’ identity
This Report is part of activities by the Ikenga Media & Cultural Awareness Initiative (IMCAI) under the Collaborative Media Engagement for Development Inclusivity and Accountability Project, a multi-level intervention for media independence and government accountability, managed by the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) and supported by MacArthur Foundation.
