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The Nigerian Institution of Structural Engineers (NIStructE) has elected the Deputy Rector (Academics), Yaba College of Technology (Yabatech), Dr. Kehinde Osifala as its 20th President.

The investiture, which took place at YABATECH, attracted dignitaries in the engineering field.

The Rector, Mr. Obafemi Omokungbe, an engineer, congratulated NIStructE and Osifala.

He described it as an honour for the YABATECH community to have one of the institution’s best brains and seasoned administrators run the affairs of the prestigious institute.

Omokungbe said Osifala had in his 36 years in YABATECH contributed immensely to the academic and administrative development of the college. He assured NIStructE that Osifala would bring in the desired development to the profession and raise the quality of service of the institution.

The Rector said the institute played a critical role in national development and safety and such should regulate the structural engineering profession to ensure that only qualified and competent hands are engaged.

“It is important that the necessary partnership with the government and other relevant organisations must be formed by the institute to checkmate the activities of quacks. Emphasis must be laid on professional development which the institute is highly committed. With the right leadership the challenges facing the institution will be reduced to the barest minimum,” he said.

Full academic activities for the 2019/2020 Academic Session have commenced at the Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta (FUNAAB) with orientation for fresh students.

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Kolawole Salako, admonished the new students to take advantage of their virtual training to learn more about information technology.

Salako said: “You need to take advantage of this virtual training because we are in the information technology world and a lot of you know that you cannot do without it. You are a generation already born into the age of information technology and we believe that you shall acclimatise to whatever media we are using to deliver the lectures to you.”

The VC, however, warned the freshers not to take advantage of the non-physical presence of their lecturers to abuse the lecture timetables.

The Vice-Chancellor stated further that the programmes were meant to prepare the over 4,000 incoming students ahead for the matriculation, stressing that without matriculation, they would not be regarded as bonafide students of the university. He urged them to listen to all that they would be taught during the exercise and also obey the COVID-19 protocols.

The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics), Prof. Bolanle Akeredolu-Ale and the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Development), Prof. Clement Adeofun, also addressed the students.

From Adamu Suleiman, Sokoto

GOVERNMENT Day Secondary School, Rabah in Sokoto State is wearing a new look thanks to a block of three classrooms constructed by member of the House of Representatives, Almustapha Ibrahim Rabah.

Rabah, a prominent Local Government, is the birth place of the the late Premier of the defunct Northern Region, Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto.

Ibrahim Rabah who represents Wurno and Rabah Federal Constituency, also disclosed that plans were under way to fully furnish the classrooms.

While commenting on the gesture, the lawmaker said it was part of his efforts to complement the three tiers of government in funding education.

He also noted that education was an important tool for development.

“It is the best legacy that can be bequeathed the youths, who are the future leaders of the country.

“It is the most potent tool to combat the menace of poverty, unemployment and youths restiveness .

“This gesture is also aimed at encouraging the parents to enrol their children and wards in schools, as well as allow them to complete their studies.

“It will also particularly bolster girl child education and this gesture will continue to be replicated across the Constituency,” he said.

Also commenting, the APC Caretaker Chairman in the Local Government, Alhaji Lawalli Muazu Rabah and another resident, Barrister Babangida Rabah, praised the lawmaker’s practical efforts at constructing the direly needed classrooms describing the gesture as invaluable as was the first of its kind since the school was established 1985.

“The additional classrooms will help in decongesting the hitherto crowded ones, to be in tune with extant UNESCO standard,” they said, while appealing to other wealthy individuals to emulate the lawmaker.

Teach For Nigeria (TFN), a non-profit organisation, focused on improving the quality of education for Nigeria’s most underserved children, has announced the launch of its Radio School programme called the Teach for Nigeria Radio School.

The Radio School was launched on Monday as part of TFN’s commitment to bridge the education inequality gap for children in poor and underserved communities with limited technology and lack of internet connection which has been exacerbated by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Education sector.

The Radio School is a new learning method designed to complement the traditional classroom teaching approach, structured to deliver educative learning content in Numeracy, Literacy, and STEM for nursery and primary school pupils.

The programme was launched first in Ogun State via Ogun State Broadcasting Corporation (OGBC 90.5 FM) and Sweet 107.1 FM on Monday.

Speaking on the initiative, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), TFN, Folawe Omikunle, said the Radio School was necessary given the impact of the pandemic.

“Our vision of ensuring quality education to all children in Nigeria is what gives us a great sense of urgency and responsibility to respond to the pandemic while unlocking the potential of our future leaders. Today is only a ceremonial event, but to fully harness the potential of this initiative, we need each one of you on this call to spread the word and ensure that as many pupils in Ogun state receive the information to access the radio school.  Indeed, these are challenging times for our nation, but education cannot wait for the crisis to end,” she said.

The Radio School programme airs on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 7 pm.

From Damian Duruiheoma, Owerri

The Imo State Deputy Governor, Prof. Placid Njoku, has charged the new Vice Chancellor of the Imo State University (IMSU), Prof. Peter Akah, to enthrone stability in the institution and restore it to the path of academic excellence.

Njoku, who spoke when the Vice Chancellor led a delegation of principal officers of the institution to the Government House, charged him to restructure the institution to meet the demands of the 21st century, saying that IMSU used to be one of the best in the country.

“IMSU is the future of Imo State whereby if things are got right in the university, then definitely things will become great in Imo State as the greater number of people that are trained in the institution that will constitute the workforce, producers, policy influencers, leaders of thought, the clergy, parents, and indeed, the greater number of the highly educated citizenry of the state,” he said.

The deputy governor, who was a former vice chancellor of the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, lamented that despite decades of existence IMSU could not pay salaries without depending on government, urged Akah and his team “to wean the university off the government by looking inwards, checking your own strength and utilising them in generating money that the university can use to fund itself.”

Njoku said Governor Hope Uzodinma had difficulty finding the best way to deal with the institution’s problems.

“If what is happening in the university continues, where the management of IMSU does not know the number of students they have, the process of admitting students is a mess, a place where people stay for years without knowing when they will graduate and several others, then the university will never be able to train the kind of people that will plan well for the state and the country”.

While noting that workers were entitled to their wages, Njoku expressed displeasure at the manner unions in the university engrossed in self-aggrandizement, and charged them to justify their salaries by being responsible, especially in research.

Responding, Akah, who noted that the major challenge facing the institution was poor funding, asked for encouragement and support from the government, while promising to leave the institution better than he met it.

From Osagie Otabor, Akure

Management of the Joseph Ayo Babalola University (JABU) has promised to formulate new strategies to ensure both the rich and the poor have access to quality education provided by the institution.

President of the institution and current head of the Christ Apostolic Church, Pastor Samuel Olusegun Oladele, who spoke at its 11th convocation, said the church would continue to provide moral and financial support for the growth of the institution.

Vice -Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Kola Sonaike, said the institution waded through the Coronavirus pandemic challenges to ensure the students got the best of learning.

Sonaike announced that the 21 graduands passed with first class out of the 430 graduands that were awarded first degree and post graduate degrees.

He named Miss Esther Adebusola Fashola of the Department of Mass Communication as the best graduating student with a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.89

Sonaike said the COVID-19 lockdown and subsequent global restrictions in movement had significant effect on training delivery and participation of the institution academic staff in conferences, seminars and workshops.

The JABU VC said that the school has been able to secure full accreditation of some courses from the National Universities Commission (NUC).

A total of 181 graduands made Second Class Upper, 157 made Second Class Lower while 36 made Third Class.

Among those conferred with honorary degrees were a former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal, Oluseyi Petirin, Managing Director/CEO, First Registrar and Investor Services Limited, Pastor Bayo Olugbemi, Chairman, House Committee on Public Procurement, Hon Oluwole Oke and Chairman, House Committee on NDDC, Hon Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.

The  Sir Paul Obi Foundation floated by the Company Secretary of NIPCO plc, Mr Paul Obi  has marked its third year of inauguration with offers of scholarships and social intervention grants to indigent people in the society.

At the event held at the Foundation complex in Ogberuru, Orlu LGA, Imo State, Obi said activities commemorating the anniversary were in three-fold – primarily at touching the lives of people with bias for their empowerment.

They included: distribution of 135 bags of 25kg rice to cushion the effect of COVID -19 pandemic during the lockdown; donation of goods to about 20 physically-challenged people on January 4 and the provision of scholarships to five indigent students in the community – bringing to 35 the total number of scholarship beneficiaries.

Obi noted that the foundation primarily aimed at offering scholarships for university education had to shift to social interventions following the pains people face due to the poor economy.

He however noted that the foundation would continue its educational support in to reduce illiteracy and its adverse consequences.

Obi also promised to donate 150 exercise books for distribution to all schools in the area.

At the event, Eze Damian Obianigwe praised the donor for his material and moral support to the people and the royalty.