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Tag: College

  • College to award degrees

    The Provost, Ogun State College of Health Technology, Dr. Abiodun Oladunjoye has said that the college has arrangedwith the Kwara State University to award degrees to students of the institution.

    Oladunjoye revealed this at the 40th anniversary lecture and award ceremony held at the premises of the college, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State.

    He said it has become imperative to run degree courses since the number of students who would take the degree courses was increasing. He noted that some of the courses that students would sit degree examinations in include Environmental Health, Medical Laboratory Sciences and Health Information Management, among others.

    “Our status as College of Health Technology has given us the opportunity to expand the scope of operation and widen its horizon. So, we have successfully concluded arrangement with the Kwara State University in awarding degree courses. As soon as possible we shall begin to award degree on Environmental Health, Medical Laboratory Sciences and Health Information Management, among others,” Oladunjoye said.

    Speaking earlier, the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mrs. Modupe Mujota, said the success story and the achievements recorded by the college in its four decades existence could not be over-emphasised, saying that the theme of the lecture “Achieving Cleaner, more Sustainable and Healthier Future” was apt considering climate change as debilitating factor in all-round development.

    While acknowledging the co-operation of members of staff and students whose professionalism has helped the college to achieve academic excellence, Mujota said government would do everything possible to achieve more in the education sector.

    Mujota, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mr. Shefiu Rasheed revealed that to achieve cleaner and sustainable environment, the people should plant and preserve trees. She noted that burning of plants could cause environmental pollution which could lead to serious health issues such as cancer, respiratory defects and other health-related problems.

    The guest lecturer and Director, Primary Health, Ikenne Local Government Area, Dr. Ademola Talabi, who spoke on the theme “Achieving Cleaner, More Sustainable and Healthier Future”, said: “To achieve a cleaner and healthier environment in the nearest future, there must be urgent need for communities to support the movement for a cleaner, more sustainable and healthier future.”

    Dr. Talabi, however, called on individuals and corporate bodies to incorporate natural ways of making the environment clean such as bush cleaning, reduction of emissions intake and planting of trees.

  • Queen’s College to get annex

    The Federal Government is working on modalities to acquire a land for an annex of Queen’s College, the Head of Service of the Federation, Mrs Winifred Oyo-Ita, has said.

    Mrs Oyo-Ita spoke at the unveiling of the vision of the Principal of Queen’s College, Dr Lamu Amodu in Lagos.

    The theme of the vision is: “Rekindling the torch of excellence’’.

    According to Mrs Oyo-Ita, the purpose for establishing an annex for the college is to create more space for effective teaching and learning as well as skills acquisition.

    She said: “I am aware that the vision of the principal of this college is borne out of commitment, interest and desire to revamp the standard and quality of education given to our students to be in line with modern day labour demands.

    “The development will also reposition the college to its enviable pitch in academic performance.

    “In our time, we were fewer in number but at present, the large students population without corresponding increase in infrastructure implies extra cost and hard work for high standard to be sustained.

    “It is, therefore, in this light that on my own as the Head of Service of the Federation, I will support the Federal Ministry of Education with the cooperation of the Ministries of Lands and Urban Development and others relevant to acquire an annex for the college.

    “This is a step in actualising part of the noble vision and other identified projects of the college’s principal.”

    She lauded the Australian High Commission in Nigeria for keying into the vision by constructing and donating a solar powered water system to the college.

    The head of service called for more partnerships from the public to encourage girl-child education in the country.

    Dr Amodu said her vision was to prepare and equip graduate versatile women who would succeed in the ever changing and competitive world in their chosen professions.

    She said the purpose of the annex is not to over crowd the college, but to provide an enabling environment for the effective teaching of the trade subjects key to the college’s vision.

    “The annex will house an entrepreneurship centre for hands-on training for girls as we also look at providing a befitting staff quarters for our teachers,’’ she said.

    This, she said, was one of the visions of the founding fathers of the college.

    “The demands of our society and the modern labour market have begun to challenge our definition of quality education given to our students.

    “A lot more emphasis is placed today on skills acquisition and entrepreneurship, consequently, our concept of quality education needs to change to align with the new reality of growing societal needs.

    “To this end, for a more strategic planning, comprehensive approach and renewed direction which are the guiding principles of this vision becomes imperative.

  • Oyo college shut over lecturers’ strike

    The Oyo State College of Agricultural Technology (OYSCATECH) in Igboora has been shut, following a 21-day strike  by the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) over alleged non-payment of  salaries.

    The union went on the warning strike after an emergency meeting held last Thursday, following the expiration of the ultimatum given management to pay workers nine-month arrears. The union said its members had been working without pay for months, noting that many of them are dying of hunger.

    ASUP said it had exhausted all avenues, including goodwill, to resolve the matter, but said strike was the only language understood by the management.

    In its letter to the registrar signed by the chairman, Afees Adeniyi, and Secretary, Mr O.O. Opadijo, ASUP asked the management to pay the nine months salary arrears to ameliorate members’ financial predicament, saying doing so would save its members from untimely death.

    “We demand constitution of a high-powered Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) Monitoring Committee outside the Bursary department to monitor the income and expenditure of the college in order to ensure transparency.

    “We demand immediate stoppage of payment of our salaries in fractions. We want the government to grant 100 per cent subvention to our college. This strike will be total. There will be no activities on campus. No examination, no project supervision and no attendance of any statutory meetings, either in academic board, faculty, department or committee.”

    The union also called for improved infrastructure and provision of modern teaching materials to aid learning. The 21-day strike is expected to end on December 27.

  • College praises Fed Govt intervention on land grabbers

    As the Federal College of Agriculture Akure (FECA) rolls out the drums for its 60th  Anniversary early next year, its management has praised the Federal Government for intervening in the problem of land grabbing in the institution.

    Its Provost, Dr Samson Odedina spoke at a briefing to unveil  activities lined up to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of the institution.

    He said the pending case between the institution and land grabbers has been moved to the Appeal Court.

    Odedina is hopeful that all those who destroy government properties are being prosecuted.

    He said FECA had moved the college higher via various partnerships with organisations in the agriculture sector.

    The don lamented the exclusion of  colleges of agriculture offering National Diploma(ND) and Higher National Diploma (HND) from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), which he described as a ‘national error’ that must be  corrected.

    Odedina said: “The implication of this is that about 500,000 youths in over 40 colleges of agriculture nationwide, will be learning under poor infrastructures, and poor interest in taking agriculture as a vocation.”

    He added: “Sixty per cent of our original land is gone, while the remaining 40 per cent which is occupied by rocks and motor parks around is under threat of sponsored litigations.

    “How can some people wake up in 2014 and lay claim to the land legally acquired since 1949, and such people continue to receive sympathy from certain government officials?’’

    He urged all well-meaning Nigerians, including alumni in the country and Diaspora, to come to the aid of their alma mater.

  • College pioneer graduates counselled on conduct

    Pioneer graduands of the Divine Blessing Bible College and Seminary (DBBCS) of the Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church, Alagbado, Lagos, have been reminded of their role as ambassadors of the college.

    They are, therefore, urged to carry themselves with poise.

    The institution’s Rector Mrs. Olufunmilayo Odeyinka, gave the advice during the maiden graduation of 30 students of the institution, which held at the church main auditorium.

    Presenting scrolls graduands for the awards of Certificate in Theology , Odeyinkacongratulated the recipients on choosing the right path to serve God.

    “To achieve great success as ministers of God, you need to be diligent in your daily Bible study and research, live the word of God to the letter, as well as pursue continuous self-improvement,” Odeyinka said.

    Mrs Odeyinka, urged the graduands to be loyal stewards of Jesus Christ, saying they should be active in evangelism and soul winning, and focused on doing God’s will.

    The Grand Patron of the college Mr. Remi Awode, recalled how the institution was established last year to offer sound understanding of the scripture, which according to him, is the sword of the spirit needed in populating God’s kingdom.

    “Excellence in academic cannot be achieved without paying for it, Awode said, adding: “This you have done and today we are celebrating you after the rigorous experience and toiling.’’

    Awode praised the teaching and non-teaching workers for what he described as their efforts in providing knowledge and skills required in ensuring that institution produced its first fruits.

    The high points of the ceremony was the presentation of certificates, prizes to the best graduand, and gifts to some lecturers for their efficient service delivery.

    In his graduation message, the Dean of Academics, C.A.C. Bible College and Seminary, Idimu, Lagos Pastor Shallom Olayinka, described the pioneer set as ‘eagles being released to spread the gospel.’

    “As a mouthpiece of Jesus Christ, you should be careful about the way you use your life and spend your time, because a new role is a calling, which you should not do in your own way, but in the light of truth,” Olayinka advised.

  • Ogun Health Technology college recounts success, challenges at 40

    The first state-owned tertiary institution in Ogun State, the College of Health Technology, Ilese-Ijebu, which opened its gate to 41 pioneer students in 1976, turned 40 penultimate Monday.

    Its Provost, Dr Abiodun Oladunjoye, at a briefing at the institution’s campus, unveiled activities to mark the anniversary scheduled to end on November 17.

    Oladunjoye, an expert in Environmental Healthcare Management, said the institution, which began with two programmes at inception, has not only grown into a full-fledged institution, but also runs 11 programmes approved by the National Board for Technical Education(NBTE) at Diploma and Higher National Diploma levels.

    He added that the Pharmacy programme had been accredited by the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN).

    He listed paucity of funds, limited carrying capacity as prescribed by various professional boards and Council, and unilateral increase in fees  by some professional bodies in healthcare as the challenges facing the college.

    Praising the government for its support to the college, Abiodun appealed for more assistance from the government and the private sector to enable it meet its core mandate.

     

  • King’s College teachers on strike over salary

    Academic activities have been paralysed at King’s College (KC), Lagos following an indefinite strike by workers for alleged non-payment of salary.

    A notice pasted on the school gate reads: “Strike ongoing. Academic activities grounded in King’s College; five months salaries unpaid. Staff are dying.”

    A teacher, Mr Muhammed Isa, who spoke with our correspondent yesterday, said pupils, should have resumed on September 17 and 18 but would not do so until the issue is resolved by the federal government.

    He said the matter is the same at the Federal Government College, Idoani in Ondo State.

    Isa said: “The Federal Government has not paid our salaries for five months now. We did not even allow the pupils to resume. Obviously, we have some problems that have to be resolved. Our own children cannot go to school because our salaries have not been paid. Also, we do not have the empowerment to come to work. It has to do with money. You have to pay your transport from wherever you are to come to school, we cannot trek. There are some of our staff who are sick and cannot pay hospital bills. One of the staff came on Wednesday, in need of money to pay her hospital bills and she could not get it. She died on Friday. So this has informed us not to resume and we did not take the action without the approval of our mother union, the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN).”

    Mrs Binta Duguri, who teaches Government and Civic Education said: “The non-payment of salary is really affecting us because our own children are at home, because there is no money to pay their school fees. The ones that have reached university cannot even resume. It is not fair that we should come and be teaching other children for free.”

  • Ekiti College reappoints deputy provost

    The Governing Council of the College of Education Ikere Ekiti has approved the re- appointment of Dr Olu Aturamu as the Deputy Provost of the College.

    Dr.  Aturamu who holds a Doctorate Degree in Agricultural Economics obtained from the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), joined the services of the College in 1993 as an assistant lecturer and rose through the ranks to the status of a chief lecturer in the Department of Agricultural Education in 2011.

    He was appointed the Deputy Provost in 2014 for an initial term of two years and subsequently renewed for another term.

    Aturamu has occupied various positions within the College and at the same time carried out different professional consultancy works and has authored several scholarly publications.

    He is a member of different organisations and professional bodies including: American Agricultural Economics Association, Teachers’ Registration Council of Nigeria and International Agricultural Economics Association among others.

    Aturamu is a member of Rotary Club, Akure District 9125, an organisation he led as President between 2007 and 2008.

  • Sultan of Sokoto gets Medical College Fellowship today

    National Post Graduate Medical College (NPGMC), will today confer an honorary Fellowship of the of the institution on Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji  Sa’ad  Abubakar, at its 34th convocation.

    Its President Prof Ademola Olaitan, announced this in his pre- convocation address at the institution  in Ijanikin, Lagos.

    He said the Sultan was being honoured for his ‘’relentless advocacy for improved healthcare in the country and stemming the outbreak of communicable disease’’.

    According to him, the institution would also honour two former registrars-Dr Michael Akintayo Bankole and Dr Kamil Olanipekun Alausa with its distinguished award in recognition of their contributions.

    Olaitan also said 340 fellows would take a bow from the institution today. According to him, they comprised those who had completed the compulsory clinical placement and rotation of not less than five years in accredited teaching and specialist hospitals, and had also passed the prescribed examinations.

    Similarly, Olaitan cleared the air on the age-long controversy of their Fellows becoming vice chancellors in universities.

    He said any individual conferred with a Fellow of the institution was qualified to aspire to the position of vice chancellor nationwide.

    Olaitan said where such an individual was prevented, it meant politics was being involved by some people who did not like the face of such a Fellow to prevent him from aspiring to the position.

    Olaitan said:  “Let me say our members are more than qualified to aspire to the vice chancellor post or any other higher designations.

    “It would have been political in universities where our members are disqualified because they don’t have Ph.D. The NUC (National Universities Commission) itself has a document, part of which states that those who don’t have Ph.D can use the Fellowship should they wish to aspire for the post of vice chancellor. “However, there are some places where internal politics come in. Some elements think because they don’t want certain individuals to get into certain position, they will use their power to prevent such person from getting there.

    “At the level of the college, all we are doing is to get the necessary stakeholders invited so we can get this controversy behind us.”

    In all, Olaitan said, the college had graduated 5,387 fellows since inception in 1979, thereby saving the country billions of dollars, which would have been spent on overseas training.

  • Fees hike sparks row at Unity College

    Fees hike sparks row at Unity College

    As schools resume next Monday for a new session, the Federal Government College (FGC), Jos, may run into a storm. Parents are spoiling for a showdown with the school for alleged unilateral introduction of new levies and workers are angry over the suspension of their duty tour allowance (DTA), AMINU IDEGU writes:

    Parents and workers are spoiling for a showdown with the management of the Federal Government College (FGC), Jos, the Plateau State capital, ahead of the school’s resumption for a new session on Monday.

    The parents are tackling the Principal, Mrs Assani Dinatus for alleged unilateral introduction of levies. They are demanding a reversal of the charges and her resignation.

    Besides, there are talks of another industrial action by workers who are angry about the suspension of their duty tour allowance (DTA) and other allowances which they were enjoying before Mrs Dinatus assumed duty last year.

    Before the school went on the vacation in July, management wrote parents, informing them of the new fee regime. In some cases, some levies were increased by 100 per cent, in others, new levies were introduced.

    For instance, boarding fee, which was N8,000 is now N15,000; utility fee, rose from N1000 to N3000.  Society/club fee jumped from N250 to N500, sports went from N250 to N500.

    Pupils are also expected to deposit N12,000 for textbooks, and N3,000 for exercise books. Management also introduced a security fee of N1000, and N3,000 for website/e-result. Insurance fee is put at N5000, totalling N32,200 per pupil.

    Parents described the charges as “outrageous” and “exploitative” and registered their grievances against what they termed “300 per cent hike in school fees”.

    A week ago, the parents marched through major streets in Jos and took their grievances to the Plateau State House of Assembly, the Government House and the Palace of the Da Jacob Gyang Buba.

    According to the protesters, they embarked on the march to draw the Federal Government’s attention to their plight before schools resume for a new session next week. The parents’ grouse was contained in a letter signed by Olusegun Adebayo and titled: “Complaint on the hike in school fees and other charges in the Federal Government College Jos”.

    The protesting parents also carried placards with inscriptions such as, “Parents say no to hike in school fees in FGC”; “What is the fate of tomorrow’s leaders?”; “We say no to impunity”; “Parents say no to N12,000 deposit for textbooks”; “PMB save our school from total collapse; and “300 per cent hike in school fees of Unity Schools unacceptable”.

    To management, the measure is a step to raise funding via internally generated revenue (IGR), in accordance with the government’s directive to Unity Schools to seek ways of sourcing for additional funds to run their affairs.

    About 18months ago, parents passed a vote of no confidence on Dinatus’ predecessor Muhammed Kudu Manko, accusing him of high handedness, corruption and keeping them in the dark about the true state of the school.

    Mrs Dinatus, who had a hand in Manko’s transfer is facing what her perdecessor faced.

    “She was one of the parents at that time, but at the same time she was an Assistant Director in the Federal Ministry of Education,” noted a parent, Mr Clarus Mathew.

    He continued: “She joined other parents in kicking out the last principal. When she was posted as the principal last year, we, parents, were happy since she was part of the struggle, but we never knew she would do worse; that is why we are most disappointed as parents, and we are ready to chase her away just as we did to her predecessor.”

    Another parent, Mr Uchena Okoye, who has two children in the school, said: “This is supposed to be a Federal Government College, but the principal is running it like her private school. When she came, she refused to work with the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) executive. She connived with some parents to form another parallel PTA.

    The Nation investigation revealed that teachers and other workers in the school have not been working in concert since Mrs Dinatus mounted the saddle last year.

    A worker, Mr Simeon Awolabi, told our reporter that the morale of many workers is low.

    He said: “Most teachers and non-teaching staff have lost interest since this woman came. The school is now in darkness because the woman refused to make use of the standby power generator. As soon as PHCN takes power, the whole school is in darkness, including staff quarters.”

    A teacher, who pleaded not to be  named said they were also victims of the fee increase.

    “We, the staff, are not also happy with the new charges because our children are also pupils in the school; that means we will all suffer the increase, hence we are in support of the protest by parents.”

    The teacher continued: “This principal is a unionist; she is the treasurer of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCN); so she prefers to work with the school union which is made up virtually junior staff. She refused to work with directors and senior staff, and that is part of her problem. She takes unilateral decisions and does not consult any director in most of the management’s decision.”

    Investigation revealed that parents are working at cross purpose. Shortly before Mrs Dinatus came on board, the PTA had been dissolved for alleged corruption and a caretaker committee constituted. The PTA executive challenged its dissolution in court. The caretaker committee has been in place for over a year.  This development  may have given management the impetus to introduce the charges.

    Contacted on phone Mrs Dinatus denied knowledge of the protest. “I’m not aware of any protest,” she told our reporter and hung up.

    A director in the school, who pleaded not to be mentioned, defended Mrs Dinatus.

    According to the source, Unity Schools nationwide were cash strapped, and FGC Jos was no exception. The new measure by FGC Jos was a means of jacking up the school’s internally generated revenue, the source explained.

    “Look, my friend,” said the source, “the principal appears too weak to handle intricate internal problems most of which she inherited.

    “Like most of the increase they (parents) are talking about, the decision to increase school fees from N7,000 to N15,000 was taken by all principals of Unity Schools and the Federal Ministry of Education. She did not initiate that one on her own, it was a national thing. Then the other charges the parents are complainings about are just a way to look inward to generate funds because it is obvious the government has no money to run the school. The government has advised various schools to look inwards and generate funds, and that is what she is doing.”

    The director continued: “Now the major reason she did not carry parents along was because she inherited an already factionalised PTA. There was a substantive PTA, which tenure had expired. There is also a caretaker committee that has also remained for over one year now. So, there is virtually no way she could work with parents given these inherent problems.

    “As for me, I’m not blaming the principal. I’m rather blaming the Federal Ministry of Education.  I’m  faulting the PTA national body for failing to solve the problem within the Jos chapter for over a year. This principal needs an organised body of parents to work with for the progress of the school. Again, if the Federal Government is providing necessary funds to run the school, the principal has no business introducing new charges.”