Category: Uncategorized

By Grace Obike, Abuja

The Federal Government has lamented the level of reluctance among students to studying mathematics and science subjects.

The government says it has noticed that many young people are less interested in subjects that can produce the necessary manpower that can help the country utilise its abundant resources.

Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, who made the statement, added that Nigeria’s continuous reliance on other countries for the importation of all things, was no longer acceptable.

He added that to remedy the situation, his ministry would provide indigenous science kits to select secondary schools in each state of the federation.

Onu spoke at the training of teachers/distribution of indigenous science kits for secondary schools in Abuja on Tuesday.

He said:”We have noticed in our secondary schools that many students are reluctant to study mathematics and science subjects. This situation is not good for our country. We know that we need many of our young people to be interested in the study of Mathematics and sciences. This has become very important because we need to produce the necessary manpower that can help us to effectively and efficiently utilise the abundant natural resources we have in virtually all parts of the country.

“We have for long depended on other countries to meet our needs in many of the equipment, machines, industrial services needed for national development. Nigeria has the human beings, who if properly educated can fully exploit and convert her abundant natural resources into products and services needed both at home, in our schools, hospitals, laboratories, offices and factories.

“The continuous reliance on other countries, whereby we import most of the things we need is no longer acceptable. The science kits, that are being distributed, are locally produced by the Scientific Equipment Development Institute (SEDI), Enugu. The preference for an indigenous science kit is in line with the Presidential Executive Order No. 5.

“By using these science kits, the students will explore different branches of science including Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Ecology and Astronomy. Some selected teachers are being trained on the use of these science kits.”

By Kolade Adeyemi, Jos

Management of Karl Kumm University (KKU) Vom, Plateau State, a  new private institution, has thanked the Governor, Simon Bako Lalong for his support.

The Management Team led by its Chairman, Board of Trustees and Executive Secretary, Tetfund Prof. Suleiman Elias Bogoro was at the Government House Rayfield Jos with the Chairman Governing Board Prof. Ochapa Onazi and COCIN President Rev. Dachollom Datiri.

Bogoro said the governor played a vital role to ensure the dream of the university comes to fruition after many years.

He said Lalong, apart from granting the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) for the institution, also fulfilled the promise of his predecessor that the Plateau State government would construct the University Library (which is almost completed).

He said he interfaced at various times with the Federal Ministry of Education, National Universities Commission and the Presidency for the approval for the school.

Bogoro said the approval was a dream fulfilled for the COCIN family as it has many years of experience providing quality education for Nigerians. The university, he assured, would maintain such standards and raise leaders with character, knowledge and integrity.

Lalong, on his part, said the establishment of the university, was  vital to state’s development as it would deepen its rich educational history.

Lalong said his government would continue to support KKU until it stabilises because it presents great opportunities for the growth and development of the state and Nigeria.

The governor said at the time  Nigeria was need of character reformation and education that provides skills and innovation, KKU was well positioned to chart this course and raise leaders that will make Nigeria great.

Lalong also congratulated the COCIN President and the Church on the release of Rev. Polycarb Zongo who spent about seven months in the captivity of insurgents.

Creator of the Lagos State Government Education Management Systems (LASGEMS), Mr. Abayomi Erogbogbo, is calling on the government to embrace the initiative, which it signed into law in 2007 but suspended in 2016. In this interview, he tells KOFOWOROLA BELO-OSAGIE its relevance.

You are so confident about LASGEMS. What makes the system unique?

LASGEMS provides quality data management for improved school administration and education sector governance. Problem solving is daily and evolving – from the statutory functions, the benefits are lifetime that would outlive all of us as sustainably implemented from 2005/2006. Prudent management from first collaborative external examination registration activated for government public school WASSCE candidates and significantly reduced annual sponsored from over 110,000 to less than 47,000. It saved average of N500 million annually, and over N4billion in nine years from 2007 until abruptly suspended in 2016. It improved WASSCE results public schools by blocking repeaters, reducing distractions; it improved discipline as students were no longer invisible to government and school managers.

A major benefit to private schools is the ability to minimise school fees debts through seamless controlled student transfer management and admissions ensuring safe investments. The two schools involved would process the student request and approval transactions online real-time in compliance with statutory requirement.

Comprehensive student tracking, monitoring and up-to-date records maintaining statutory government databases, seamlessly complemented with change delayed but eventually implemented modules that abolished use of manual school registers, curriculum scheme of work booklets for Virtual solutions from 2014/2015 and transformed teachers to online real-time digital users. Automated continuous assessment scores, instant broad sheets and student report cards stress free. Retrained about 1,000 private schools free in February 2015 on the enhancements.

What are the statutory functions of LASGEMS?

In summary, maintain lifetime comprehensive electronic database of student administrative and academic records with respective history of changes and movements, in both public and private primary, junior and senior secondary schools operating in Lagos state, including contact information of parents, guardians and sponsors; assign school codes; assign unique one-time lifetime Student Personal Identification Number (SPIN) for every pupil/student for use in all school categories; manage student disciplinary actions and controls. It also provides student transfer management services making government the instant statutory clearing house for all transfers; registers students for external examinations, etc. as gazetted LASGEMS May 2007.

With its suspension in 2016, how optimistic are you that the Lagos State government would restore LASGEMS?

The innovation remains Lagos ingenuity, a weighty education management backbone. I am optimistic Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu would rise above bureaucratic impediments and push for the statutory LASGEMS continuity considering exposed facts of last two years, some given under oath.  The buck stops with Mr. Governor to allow for fairness and amicable solutions since the contractual arbitration option has been tactically frustrated by the new ministry of justice leadership. Education governance, schools, students, parents and service provider remain victims until justifiably reversed.

It is worrisome that it could drag for this long with the sitting Deputy Governor part of the implementation supervisory team as the Honourable Commissioner for Science and Technology (2005-2011) that witnessed the launch of the change project, moved from 2005/2006 strategic data recovery start-up solution to LASGEMS web-based online real-time system 2009/2010, signed subsisting contract agreement in June 2009 and in the know of project performance obstacles and traps survived by service provider. The dispute is combination of successful change resisting intrigues, deliberate contract misinterpretation and software intellectual property rights challenges contrived by Ministry of Education and Ministry of Science & Technology, misrepresenting facts to paint success as failure. By implications, denying the state continuous statutory benefits and mutilating her legacy achievements.

Why the reluctance to continue with LASGEMS?

The reluctance is disturbing in view of being blessed with more informed leadership team. The administration laments dearth of data, yet LASGEMS legacy solutions remain on hold. At a loss with the intentions, may be playing on time again.

I alerted the leadership in April 2015 of concealed government officials training on replicated LASGEMS functions by Eko project team. Mistreated for the problematic demand to handover LASGEMS intellectual property software using contractual payment as bait, we resisted. Inherited by 2015/2019 administration that abruptly placed partnership on hold and system usage interrupted from 2015/2016 with over 2.6 million lifetime statutory student records maintained, desirous to replace LASGEMS with an aberration labelled LASPIN that failed to see light of the day.

The dispute was eventually resolved March 2019, the State Governor approved the Ministry of Justice mediation prayers partially implemented before May 29. Unfortunately (it was) reneged by current administration with renewed hostilities by ministry of education, disregarding fairness and frustrating all options including a noble wind-up closure option.

Are you making progress resolving the dispute?

To me, Lagos state is more important than individual interests and benefits. I have in the last two weeks again appealed to our revered Governor for amicable solution, and for the second time escalated to Lagos House of Assembly for germane intervention being a paused operative statutory matter. I do not want to believe in the rumour that I am being deliberately denied.

The alumni association of the Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, Oto/Ijanikin, has urged Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to fulfil his promise to upgrade their alma mater to a university.

In a letter to the Governor signed by Akintolure Oluwashina and Ismail Yusuf, the National President and the National Secretary, the association claimed that the institution, “being the first state-owned tertiary institution, with world-class facilities and adequate human resources among the academic staff and an appreciable number of PhD holders … should be upgraded to a University of Education to enable optimal utilisation of human power in the system and give room for training of teachers at all level”.

During the second anniversary of the Sanwo-Olu administration celebrated May 29, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Education, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, said the process for the upgrade had been approved by the governor and the State Executive Council, and would soon be announced by the governor.

National Public Relations Officer of the alumni association, Opeyemi Eniola, however, noted that the past governments “had made the same promises but failed to fulfill it”.

Part of the letter reads: “The upgrade is long overdue, the products of AOCOED are one of the best you can find anywhere in the country and our members winning big at the recent editions of the Lagos State Teachers Merit award speaks volume.

“This implies that the school should, without further delay be upgraded to its befitting status of the University of Education.”

By Fanen Ihyongo, Kano

The Rotary Club of Kano Dala Sunrise, District 9125, has renovated two classrooms at Fatima Muhammed Government Girls Secondary School in Gyadi Gyadi, Tarauni Local Government Area.

A visit to the school showed that the floor has been rebuilt, the wall and windows fixed and painted. 60 chairs were also supplied.

The club’s President Chris Idoko said: “In the past -about one and half years ago, we were in this school to provide exercise books to the students. And looking at the nature of the classrooms, we saw the need to uplift it.

“This year when we prioritised our projects, and assisting schools being one of the focus of rotary clubs, we said let us work on the classrooms. But with lean resources, we said we would start with two classrooms at the moment and continue later as funds flow in. We worked on the floor, wall, and windows, did painting and provided 60 chairs,” he said.

The school’s face lift has excited its principal, Haj Sadiya Muhammed and Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and inspired the state Education ministry to honour the rotary club with an award.

Ganduje, represented by the Executive Secretary, Kano State Senior Schools Management Board, Dr. Bello Shehu, described the gesture as a community service.

He said: “The state government is always happy with such organisations, individuals and groups who come out to render help and support for us to achieve our educational set goals and policies. We commend and thank the Rotary Club of Kano Dala Sunrise, but like Oliver Twist, we are asking for more.

“We have over 1,300 secondary schools and over 2000 primary schools in Kano State, so we need people and groups like the rotary club to come in and assist in our free compulsory education in the state. As a representative of the ministry of Education to this event, I will officially write an information memo to the Education commissioner for the onward briefing of the governor. In Kano state, it is education first; other things come second. Therefore, our doors are open to donors, including the World Bank to support us.”

Explaining the essence of the club, Rotary District Governor designate, Sani Ahmed, said: “A rotary club is not just about doing business. Through the rotary international foundation and from our contributions, we have many areas of intervention to improve activities of the communities such as in peace and conflict resolution, child and maternal health, literacy and numeracy (education) and water and sanitation etc. Thus, the Rotary Club of Kano Dala Sunrise did its analysis and discovered that the major area of intervention is the Fatima Muhammed Government Girls Secondary School.”

By Damola Kola-Dare

Lagos State Coordinator of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Mr. Eddy Megwa has said the scheme would establish community-based clinic in host communities and Secretariats across the country to cater for the health needs of people.

He spoke on Monday at Atan Kekere community in Ayobo, Lagos at the opening of a three-day medical outreach tagged: “NYSC health initiative for rural dwellers.”

Megwa said over three million people had benefitted from the health initiative which takes place every four months nationwide.

He noted that the outreach was aimed at reaching out to indigent people who cannot afford healthcare.

“We have our doctors, pharmacists and paramedics here to take care of residents of this community. They (Corps members) are ready to examine them, counsel them and give them drugs. All these are free of charge. This is part of NYSC’s contribution to rural development. And the responses we get are positive,” he said.

He also praised corps members for reaching out to indigent people at the height of the pandemic in their communities in Lagos giving out nose masks, hand sanitisers, among others.

Mrs. Priscilla Akhamie, representative of the NYSC Director-General, Brig Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim, said the programme was vital to host communities who cannot access adequate healthcare service.

Farouk Oladipo, a doctor and corps member urged residents to maintain good hygiene and   take the COVID-19 vaccine.

Another corps member, Chidozie Nzekwe, a pharmacist who gave a short talk on self-medication, advised participants not to indulge in self-medication, noting it could lead to other health challenges.

“Self-medication is not advisable. You don’t know the dose to take. Then those who use herbs don’t know the amount they should take. Taking overdose could lead to other health challenges. Then, herbs should not be combined with orthodox medicine. Contact medical professionals before using drugs,” he said.

By Dorcas Aluko and Gbemisola Adesola

Hundreds of people who were impacted by Prof. Olugbemisola Mopelola Omoegun trooped to the University of Lagos (UNILAG) to celebrate with the academic icon as she clocked the retirement age of 70, after over four decades of meritorious service.

The retirement party, which also featured the presentation of her book entitled The Icing on My Cake and birthday held at the Jelili Omotola Multipurpose Hall of the university.

It had in attendance the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goal, Mrs. Aderonke Orelope-Adefulire, UNILAG Vice-Chancellor Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe; and chairman on the occasion Chief J. B. Oke, among others.

In an interview, Omoegun of the Department of Guidance and Counseling, Faculty of Education, thanked God for giving her the grace to clock 70, retire and present her book.

On what advice she had for colleagues looking forward to this kind of celebration, she urged them to do their best and bring out the potentials in students.

“I will tell my colleagues that they should do their jobs well with the fear of God, no partiality and there is nobody that is a failure. God has created us for a reason and a purpose and there is no one God creates whom God has not endowed with some potential so our job as counsellors and teachers is to bring out the best every time so that the students will make progress,” she said.

Mrs. Orelope-Adefulire described Omoegun as her mentor, a scholar, rare gem, role model and academic giant.

“The evidence that Prof, Mopelola Omoegun has indeed lived a successful life cannot be overemphasized,” she said.

Ogundipe described her as a “Testimony” and commented on the evident power of prayer in her life.

“She’s been in the university for over 42 years and today she is still standing. Anytime I see her, I will say this is a testimony moving because if not for God, she would have been forgotten but because she has a destiny to fulfill today to the glory of the Almighty God that is why we are celebrating her and I believe that as God liveth she will live so many years she will give more testimonies,” he said.

Reviewing The Icing on My Cake, Prof. Olagunju Gbadebo of the Lagos State University (LASU) said the book was a memoir of the author’s life meant to inspire readers to achieve any goal that they set their minds to achieve regardless of circumstances of their birth or any other prevalent purpose.

“The Icing on My Cake; a memoir of Professor Omoegun, a teacher and counsellor at 70 is fascinating collection of memories of the life, career and achievement of the author with a captivating analogy where the author likened herself to a cake. She underscores the certain importance of ingredients like flour, milk, sugar, etc. as fundamental in baking a cake. The author acknowledges the grace that God deposited these baking ingredients in abundance in her life which formed the bedrock of her successful career. The highly articulate author noted that not only did God bake her into a wonderful cake, he added icing in the form of tremendous practices such as the doctorate degree in 1988 and the professorial appointment in 2008 that she went on to achieve in her career,” he said.

By Kofoworola Belo-Osagie

Schools that focus on academics may not be getting the best out of their pupils, the National President, National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Chief Yomi Otubela, has said.

He advised that schools should infuse extra-curricular activities into their academic programme every term.

Speaking during the maiden national debate competition organised by NAPPS in Lagos, Otubela said cognitive education should be balanced with the affective and psychomotor domains of learning.

“Education is not all about the cognitive domain of the education, we also talk about the psychomotor and their affective and it is from that angle that we are beginning to see that we are not doing as much as is expected of us as teachers and as schools in the area of tapping into the talents of the children through the co-curricular activities,” he said.

Otubela said the desire to boost extra-curricular activities informed the debate competition which he said would be done annually to commemorate the children’s day yearly.

He said this year’s contest only featured participants from five per cent of NAPPS 40,000 schools and hoped that there would up to 20 percent next year.

Chairman of the Children’s Day programme, Dr Adetunji AbdulRahman, said the debate focused on the COVID-19 pandemic given its impact on schools and the pupils who had to be out of school for about one year.

“It was a traumatic experience for Nigerian children under our care in private schools.

And based on this, we decided to sensitise them by picking a topic around COVID-19 and impromptu speech in order to remind them of the experience and to prepare them for future endeavours,” he said.

At the end of the contest, which featured 12 schools in the finale, the team from Lagos comprising Toluwalope Okunade of Blue Ribbon School, Agege, and Oladipupo Dabiri of Lagooz Montessori School, won the first prize of N100,000 in the primary category with 33 points. Lagos beat the duo of Adetunji Alalau and Busari Taiwo from Kwara State (which scored 30 points) to win the trophy.

In the secondary school category, the team from Oyo State won with 129 points against the team from Kogi State which garnered 111 points.

Eight-year-old Oladipupo said it was difficult debating against COVID-19 being real as he had learnt from school that the pandemic was real.  However, he said it was a rewarding experience.

By Gbemisola Adesola

The Lagos State Government has said it is committed to leaving no child behind regardless of skin and hair colour.

In commemoration of the International Albinism Awareness Day for pupils/students in primary and secondary schools, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Education, Mrs. Abosede Adelaja, admonished the public against harassment, stigmatisation and humiliation because of the difference in the colour of hair and skin.

She said albinism was a genetic condition that had nothing to do with character or personality and urged students affected by albinism to believe in themselves.

“People will see you the way you see yourselves and remember to always say to yourself, I can,” she said.

Acknowledging that albinism could be challenging, the Director, Child Guidance, school counselling and special education, Mrs. Olusola Somoye said that the awareness programme will also serve as a reminder to both albinos and their guardians of the need to cater for their health challenges, morale and sense of living.

Dr. Edi Onyinye Prisca, a guest lecturer, who spoke on “Sensitisation / campaign against Stigmatisation of Albinos in the Society; Role of Stakeholders” praised the Lagos State Government for the programme, which were absent during her childhood.

She advised pupils/students with albinism to avoid exposing their skin to the sun, manage their movement between 10am and 4pm.

She noted that Melanin which normally protects the skin from UV (ultraviolet) damage is short in supply which is responsible for the difference in colour of the eyes, skin and hair. She advised the government to create stringent laws to stop human right violation against people with Albinism and also provide job opportunities/training as well as enforce a quota for persons with disabilities in employment.

In a lecture entitled: “Maintenance of Albino Skin and Vision from the Health Perspective”, Mrs. Josephine Omolola underscored the protection of Albino skin from the sun, saying: “It is very important because they are more sensitive to sun exposure and have an increased risk of skin cancer.”

She said albinism was no punishment for any crime or caused by gods contrary to popular belief. She explained it is caused by the existence of a substantially lower rate of melanin production which is the pigment responsible for the colour of the eyes.

Mrs. Omolola urged teachers to pay attention to albino pupils’ emotional state and needs as it would boost their performance.

The government gave out free sun screen to the pupils to help them in skin management and reduce the risk of skin cancer. They were advised to wear sun glasses to mitigate the effect of the sun on their eyes and vision.

By Rasaq Ibrahim, Ado-Ekiti

Female students across campuses in Nigeria have threatened legal action against randy lecturers apprehended with verifiable evidence of sexual assault against their colleagues.

The students, under the auspices of the National Female Students Association of Nigeria (NFSAN), said the students’ body was mortified by recurrent cases of sex-for-mark syndrome across tertiary institutions.

Speaking in Ado Ekiti at an event organised to commemorate the  International Day for Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, the National President, Mary Modupe Adetiba, said: “My message to lecturers intimidating and subjecting female students to sex-for-grade is that whenever we are armed with verifiable evidence of such, we are going to file legal actions against them.

“We are elated that about 14 lecturers had been sacked at the Akwa Ibom State University, two at the Federal University, Oye Ekiti FUOYE) and some at the University of Lagos. These would serve as deterrent to others,” she said.

Adetiba advised female students to speak up and stop dying in silence while being harassed sexually by lecturers.

She maintained that the brutal assault and murder of Uwaila Omozuwa, a student of University of Benin and Iniobong Umoren, underscored the need for more proactive initiatives and laws to address the underlining cause of sexual violence.

“A report of 24 states in Nigeria showed that 346 incidents of sexual violence were reported in March 2020, and within the first two weeks of April, the figure rose by 56 per cent. This development is worrisome and all hands must be on the deck in finding a lasting solution to this growing menace.

“NFSAN as a concerned female students’ body in solidarity with United Nations, condemns and calls for the end of conflict-related sexual violence, like rape, sexual slavery, enforced prostitution, forced pregnancy, and enforced sterilization. We call for more support to victims, survivors, and those committed to fighting to end these destructive crimes against humanity”, Adetiba said.

Adetiba promised to form a coalition with government, development organisations, non-governmental organisations, civil society organisations, and individuals to support the survivors of conflict-related sexual violence in the terror-affected North East, North West, and every part of Nigeria.

She said NFSAN will soon begin an ‘End Rape Campaign projects’ in 20 tertiary institutions in the Southern part of the country, to honour the memory of student colleagues who fell victim to rape and sexual violence.

“NFSAN says no to sexual violence in conflicts, as we call on all stakeholders and, policymakers that any violence against girl-child is everyone’s business and ending sexual violence against women is essential to development and prosperity of our nation,” she said.