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Tag: Government Secondary School

  • Judge withdraws from forgery case against Bindow

    The judge of the Yola division of the Federal High Court assigned to hear a case of certificate forgery against Governor Mohammed Jibrilla Bindow of Adamawa State has excused himself from the case.

    The judge, Justice Abdulaziz Anka, said Wednesday that for personal reasons, he could not continue with the case but would return it to the chief judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja to reassign it.

    “Justice must not only be done but must be seen to be done,” Anka said, reiterating that after hearing from the counsels and reviewing what had become apparent, he was uncomfortable about continuing with the case.

    The case in question was first filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja in September last year by a rights group, Global Integrity Crusade Network (GICN), which claimed in its originating summons that the governor did not complete his secondary education at the Government Secondary School, Miango, which certificate he was using, for which reason the group asked the court to determine the qualification or otherwise of Bindow for re-election as governor in the coming general election.

    The case was first heard in the Abuja division of the Federal High Court in October last year by Justice B.O. Quadiri who granted the plaintiff’s plea for accelerated hearing, but the case was subsequently transferred to Yola where the first respondent resides.

    Reacting to the withdrawal from the case by Justice Anka and return of the case to Abuja, the chief counsel to Governor Bindow, Chief Chris Uche (SAN), told newsmen that his client was ready to follow the case to anywhere it may be taken.

    Read Also: Bindow mourns kinsman, ex-defence chief Badeh

    “As we said in the open court, we are ready for the hearing in the case to continue, but the judge recused himself from the case and it is being sent back to Abuja. Wherever they take us, we will go,” he said.

    He added however that the case lacked merit and had no chance of going far. “From when this case was first filed in Abuja, we raised the objection that the plaintiff (GICN) is an artificial person who has no locus standi to institute the case. The plaintiff was not an aspirant and is not a citizen of Adamawa State and has no business challenging Bindow as the candidate of the APC for the forthcoming election,” Uche asserted.

    Responding in a separate interview with newsmen, the counsel to GICN, Edward Omaga, said the Global Integrity Crusade Network is an advocacy group registered by Nigeria’s Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to carry out its functions for or against persons and organizations anywhere across the country, and could therefore not be said to lack locu standi in the suit against the Adamawa State governor.

     

  • Resumption: FCT schools record high turnout

    Primary and Secondary schools in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), that reopened on Monday for the second term, recorded high turnout of students.

    The News Agency of Nigeria correspondent who visited some of the schools, reports that students were seen in their numbers receiving lectures from their teachers.

    At the Government Secondary School (GSS), Garki, the Principal, Mr Haruna Nabayi, told NAN that out of the 980 students in the school, 484 were in school on the first day of resumption.

    “ The school has just resumed its second term academic activities and we are expecting `bumper harvest both in academic and in number.’

    “We have 980 students population, out of this, 484 have resumed and hopefully before the week runs out, all the students will resume. It is an indication that parents know we are serious. ’’

    Also, Mr Haruna Nabayi, Principal, GSS Tudun Wada, Wuse Zone 4, said teachers had resumed work fully and called on students who were yet to resume to do so.

    “We are expecting the students to focus more on their studies as much as the teachers are ready to work, so there is need for them to study day in and day out.’’

    While reacting to the fixing of elections during school calendar, Nabayi said the elections would not disrupt academic activities.

    “Fixing of elections has nothing to do with the school system because the elections are on Saturdays and it will have no effect on schools, ‘’ he said.

    Mr Agbambu Ramah, Head Boy, GSS Tudun Wada, who spoke, called on students yet to return to do so.

    Similarly, Miss Khadijah Muhammad, an SS 3 student of GSS, Tudun Wada, appealed to students to begin the term with zeal and determination.

    NAN also spoke with head teachers of some private schools on the resumption and fixing of elections during the school calendar.

    Mr Seth Mmadufor, Head Teacher, God’s Power Academy, while commending parents for releasing their children for the second term, called on those who travelled to return as soon as possible to enable their children be in school.

    On the elections, Mmadufor called on the Federal Government to consider fixing elections when children were on holidays to avoid disruption of academic activities.

    Read Also: Calabar gets first rain in 2019

    “ Fixing the elections during this period is really going to affect parents and students.

    “Sometimes you hear parents saying they may not come back after the festive period till the general elections are over.

    “ What the government should do in subsequent elections is to carry along education stakeholders, INEC and the rest to fix a convenient date for elections.’’

    Similarly, Mrs Olabisi Abiina, Proprietress, Eshaddai Academy, called on the government to show increased commitment to the development of education.

  • Catching them young 

    Nigeria, among the nations of the world, is now heavily saddled with the problem of unemployment.

    Many tertiary institutions in the country have continued to produce a huge number of graduates who end up in the labour market every year.

    This trend has continued for many years even though things are no longer as rosy as they used to be in the 1970s and early 1980s when graduates had many job opportunities awaiting them before even graduating from school.

    The situation then was so good that such job opportunities always had attached fringe benefits like official cars, private health care and befitting accommodation serving as incentives.

    So, it was normal for students in schools then to continue to look forward to white-collar jobs.

    It was unthinkable then for such students to be engaged in entrepreneurship and skills acquisition trainings.

    Such entrepreneurship and skills acquisition trainings, then were believed to be for school dropouts and illiterates.

    Then the problem graduates mostly faced when passing out from their tertiary institutions was how to select the best out of the various job options they had.

    But all that is now history as the complete opposite is what prevails today.

    Now, you have graduates, who have no form of entrepreneurship or skills acquisition training, moving from one office to the other in search of employment.

    Some of them, who have remained unemployed for up to nine years since graduation, have continued to rely on the support of their families and loved one.

    Others have taken up demeaning jobs, which are not befitting their certificates, just to make ends meet.

    But to change the trend, the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration has started to change the orientation of students and pupils in secondary and primary schools.

    The students are now to be equipped with entrepreneurship and creative skills that will make them, at the end of their tertiary institutions, become their own bosses and employers of labour rather than searching and waiting endlessly for jobs in the labour market.

    This is to be achieved through the National School Entrepreneurship Programme (N-SEP) launched at the old Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja, last weekend.

    During the launching, two schools out of the twenty four that have competed in entrepreneurship skills, were awarded and given prize money of N500,000 each.

    They were involved in many entrepreneur skills including recycling plastics into inter-locking tiles.

    The two winning schools, Government Secondary School, Garki, Abuja and Government Girls Secondary School, Abaji, Abuja, will also represent Nigeria at the Student for the Advancement of Global Entrepreneurship (SAGE) 2018 World Cup scheduled for Durban, South Africa from August 8th to 14th.

    Speaking at the occasion, the Director General/CEO of Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Dr. Dikko Umaru Radda, said “The development of entrepreneurial mind-sets among pupils/students in primary and secondary schools in Nigeria is becoming increasingly important in preparation for catching them young for improving employment generation through wealth creation and self-reliance.

    “N-SEP is set to provide access to functional and hand-on entrepreneurship and community service education to every primary and secondary school students in Nigeria.

    “This is to reduce poverty and massive youth unemployment. Also to create a network of leaders who will see the challenges in their communities as their responsibilities.

    “N-SEP is to empower the students to recognise opportunities, exploit them, and succeed in entrepreneurship and community service.

    “SMEDAN is mindful of the paradigm shift in today’s education, it is no longer ‘go to school, get a good grade and work in a reputable organization. It is now go to school, get a good grade, acquire the skill and knowledge that will enable you to start your own business’.

    “The era of brilliant curriculum vitae is over, this is the era of crafting a bankable business plan that will launch the students into being their own bosses.” he said.

    According to the Vice President,Yemi Osinbajo’s speech  at the occasion, the increasing influence of globalization and emergence of knowledge based economy have led to the adoption of entrepreneurship education as a means of linking knowledge and skill with learning for developing critical human capital and mitigate social consequences of unemployment.

    “Socio-economic implications of entrepreneurship and human capital development all over the world is seen as booster for wealth creation, employment generation, living standard, poverty and crime reduction which have direct impact on the national economy.

    “This programme we are launching today is aimed at encouraging an innovative/skills among basic and secondary schools pupils/students as this will enhance entrepreneurship and enterprise development towards poverty reduction and employment generation.

    “They should cultivate the culture of being their own bosses and not job seekers right from primary and secondary schools.

    “The development of any nation depends mainly on the creative capacity of the citizens to be capable of effectively exploring and exploiting the country’s natural resources and transforming them into finished products and services through value addition.

    “The main purpose of entrepreneurship for children in primary/secondary education is to encourage them to think of creativity and innovation.” he stated

    Despite Nigeria winning the SAGE World Cup eight times in the last ten years, observers have noted that it has not shown any corresponding improvement in self-employment in the country.

    It is hoped that N-SEP, in no distant future, will boost entrepreneurship and self-employment while also scaling down the unemployment rate in Nigeria.

  • Family of rescued Chibok girl lauds army

    Family of rescued Chibok girl lauds army

    Mr Ayuba Aloson, a relative to one of the abducted Chibok girls on Friday lauded the Nigerian Army’s effort over the rescue of Salomi Pogu, the 15th in the list of the abducted girls.

    Reports say that troops of Operation Lafiya Dole on Thursday rescued Pogu in company of one other girl, Jamila Adams, at Pulka in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno.

    The 219 girls were abducted by Boko Haram insurgents at Government Secondary School, Chibok in 2014.

    Aloson, who is among thousands of displaced persons taking shelter in Maiduguri host community, commended the military over their commitment to rescue the abducted girls.

    He expressed joy over the development, and hoped that the remaining abducted girls would soon be rescued from captivity.

    Alonson said that he is a family member of the rescued girl, adding that four of his nieces abducted in the school were still held by the insurgents.

    Read also: Troops rescue Chibok girl Solomi Pogu

    “I am happy over the development; our abducted daughters are still with their captors.

    “This demonstrates the commitments of the military to the rescue of the girls,” he said.

    Meanwhile, the Bring Back Our Girls movement had also lauded the efforts of the military in the rescue of Pogu.

    The spokesman of the group, Sesugh Akume, said in a statement issued in Maiduguri that the rescued girl was serial number 15, in the list of abducted 219 school girls.

    “Our movement is delighted to confirm this news to be true.

    “Salomi Pogu; is a daughter of Malam Pogu Yahi from Kaumutahyahi, a village in Kuburmbula ward of Chibok Local Government Area. Her parents are currently at an Internally Displaced Persons ( IDPs ) camp in Rumirgo village, near Askira-Uba in Borno.

    “She is number 15 on the list of missing Chibok girls. This brings the number of our missing girls to 112”.

    Akume said that the group was yet to ascertain further details on Jamila Adams and her baby.

    Pogu’s rescue brought the number of girls that were freed from insurgents’ captivity to 107.

    NAN

  • Corps member dies of heart failure in Sokoto

    Corps member dies of heart failure in Sokoto

    A Corps member, Anthony Ochai, from Benue State, has died of heart failure in Sokoto, the State NYSC Coordinator, Alhaji Musa Abubakar, has said.

    Abubakar made the disclosure in Sokoto on Friday, during the passing out ceremony of 1,411 corps members deployed to the state under the 2016 batch ”A”, Stream One.

    He said:” The late corps member was serving at the Government Secondary School, Tsamaye, Sabon-Birni Local Government in the state.

    ” The deceased was resting after a football match between the various batches of the scheme, suddenly he just collapsed and died.

    ” His remains were brought to the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto and it was  confirmed that he died of heart failure.”

    Abubakar further stated that the late corps member hailed from Ugbokolo village, in Ukopo local government of Benue state.

    The coordinator also said that the remains of the late  Ochai would be buried on Friday in his home town, in Benue State.

    Abubakar further disclosed that 10 corps members had their service year extended by between three months to one year, for abscondment.

    In the same vein, 10 corps members were given state merit awards, while four others received the Chairman’s commendation certificate.

    He added that 85 other corps members were given commendation letters for outstanding performance.

    Abubakar advised the outgoing corps members to continue to be good ambassadors of the service

     

  • Chibok girls: Negotiation with Boko Haram yielding result – Minister

    Chibok girls: Negotiation with Boko Haram yielding result – Minister

    Following the release of 21 girls abducted by Boko Haram sect at Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State in April 2014, Minister, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajia Aisha Jummai Alhassan has hinged their release on the ongoing negation with the sect by the Federal government.

    The Minister, who sated this Thursday in Kaduna while fielding questions from newsmen at the grand finale of a week-long 16th Regular National Council of Women Affairs and Social Development held at Hassan Katsina House, Kawo, Kaduna State, expressed optimism that the negotiation would further secure the release of the remaining girls from their abductors’ den.

    She said, “I was so excited to hear that 21 of our girls have been freed and that was why I have to break the programme. We thank God for their release. I equally thank the Federal government for spoken and providing enabling environment for negotiation with Boko Haram to secure their release. We have started seeing the result of the negotiation coming and with God; we will see the remaining girls”.

    On the women affairs programme, she said the National Center for Women Development (NCWD), has again outlined modules to train additional 10,000 female IDPs between now and December 2017.

    She hopes and expected that the states will give maximum support for the numerous programmes and projects being enumerated at the federal level, by replacing same in the states to ensure sustainability.

    “President Muhammadu Buhari is committed to addressing the special needs of vulnerable groups in Nigeria, especially women, children, children, elderly persons living with disability and internally displaced persons”, the Minister explained.

    In her own address, Kaduna State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajia Rabi Abdulsalam said, the current administration of Governor Nasir El-Rufai places high priority in the welfare of children, women and youths respectively hence the greater involvement of women to drive such course as key stakeholders.

    According to the Commissioner, the theme of the year’s meeting, “Inclusive Empowerment; a Key to Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals Milestone”, was timely considering the present economic situation of the country on one hand, and how women have proven to be worthy partners in progress, noted if well harnessed, would change the economy of the country for better.

    “This ministry has made conscious and deliberate efforts to better the lives of women in Kaduna; we have worked closely with our development partners in the last one year and have been able to achieve so much”.

    She said the ministry hosted a Gender and Business Dialogue (GAB) platform on 29th October 2015, all about discovering the great women entrepreneurial both in the city and those in the rural areas, quickly added that the summit has since been result oriented owing to the number of women who now manage their own businesses within and outside the state.

    “When the state government established the Kaduna State Traffic and Environmental Law Enforcement Agency (KASTELEA), it was sensitive enough to give 22% of those that were employed to women. Consider also that in the women and youths in agriculture empowerment, our women are given a matching 50% of those absorbed into the programme supported by the World Bank”, she noted.

    The meeting brought together all the Commissioners of Women Affairs from all the 36 States of the federation and whatever decision arrived at the end of the meeting would be put together for the implementation by federal government while states government domesticate same in their respective states.

     

  • DSS nabs Boko Haram ‘spiritual’ leader

    DSS nabs Boko Haram ‘spiritual’ leader

    The Department of State Services on Monday disclosed that it arrested one Mudahsiru Jibrin, who was described as spiritual leader to a newly uncovered Boko Haram cell in Kano.

    The DSS claimed that preliminary investigation so far conducted revealed that the suspect was also the mastermind of the shooting of some students at Government Secondary School, Mamudo village near Potiskum, Yobe State, in 2013.

    According to spokesman for the agency, Mr. Tony Opuiyo, who stated this in a statement in Abuja, said the agency has also made other arrests. Opuiyo noted that following threat messages against some members of the Diplomatic Corps in Abuja and Lagos, the Service responded and subsequently apprehended one Aikhoje Moses, on August 19, at Azagha by-pass off the Benin–Asaba Expressway in Edo State.

    Before his arrest, Moses was alleged to have threatened the diplomatic community in Nigeria, particularly the Consular-Generals of Switzerland and Denmark and their Embassies, warning them to leave the country.

  • In Ogbia, one good term deserves another

    One good turn, they say, deserves another. But for the representatives of the 18 communities that make up the Ogbia Constituency ll in Ogbia Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, one good term deserves another.

    Men and women, young and old from the constituncy trooped to Yenagoa, the state capital on Tuesday. They found their ways to the capital city through different means of transportation. Persons living in the rural communities came on chartered buses while those living in Yenagoa and close to the venue of the event walked some distance.

    In their best traditional attires they came. Their physiognomical countenances radiated with joy as they exchanged pleasantries. Youths, elders, women groups and traditional rulers of about 18 communities that make up the constituency were present. To them, Chief Obedient Emoto has served them well in the Bayelsa State House of Assembly and he deserves a second term.

    To reinforce their decision, the elated constituents rolled out their drums and danced to their ancestral rhythm. Niger Delta Report was told that the event was put together by the lovers of the lawmaker to passionately appeal to him to return to the hallowed chamber in 2015. Emoto who was described by various people as a grassroot politician was in attendance with his beautiful wife.

    So, he listened to speeches from the Obhan Anyama Council of Community Development Committee (OACDC), Pro-Jonathan Vanguard (PJV), Ogbia Gradutae Forum (OGF), Ogbia Constituency ll Advancement Forum (OCAF) and Obanema’s representative.

    Their solidarity speeches were laced with commendations and appreciation of Emoto’s personality and performance. Some described him as a selfless and honest lawmaker; others referred to him as a man of outstanding integrity; still others said the lawmaker who hails from Ologi community in Ogbia, has outstanding leadership qualities.

    The hall, however, erupted with intermittent applauses when a community leader, Mr. Majesty Inegbagha, seized the floor for over an hour to enumerate the achievements of Emoto in less than three years in office.

    He highlighted the importance of legislation and said: “The office of the state House of Assembly cannot be occupied by riff-raff, nonentities, criminals, impostors and ego-centric persons whose motives of entering politics are borne out of selfish desire to amass wealth at the detriment of the people.

    “Days have gone when people use guns, thugs and all forms of criminal tendencies to hijack the mandate of the people so as to under-develop them. Today, people have realised that politics is meant for persons who place public interest above their personal gains.

    “The people of Ogbia Constituency ll have woken from their slumber and have resolved to sustain the mandate of their elected leaders who have shown exemplary and unparalleled leadership qualities for the overall interest of all devoid of sentiment, discrimination and domestic tendencies.

    “The people have concluded that legislators like Chief Obedient Emoto who attach importance to public interest above his personal gains are very rare in the contemporary Nigerian politics. He observes the moral laws of politics which is based on honesty, goodness, righteousness and consideration for others”.

    He recalled that immediately he was sworn-in in June 2011, Emoto began to present the basic problems of his constituency to the state and the federal government for attention. He wrote letters and memos to the various ministries, agencies and parastatal.

    Some of the needs and problems he was said to have identified were dilapidated school buildings in the area, electrification and wiring of communities, provision of potable water, shore protection of Anyama, Ayakoro, Ologi and Otuegwe and sand filling of Otuedu community waterfront, provision of landing jetties, construction of road to link Ogbia Constituency ll to the state capital and construction of befitting general hospital in the constituency.

    Through Emoto’s efforts, Inegbagha said the government has given attention to some of the myriads of problems in the constituency. According to him, the inputs of the lawmaker were visible in the 45 bills so far passed into law by the assembly.

    “Indisputably, he is one of the most regular and punctual lawmaker in the state House of Assembly”, he said.

    He added that Emoto’s constituency projects were adjudged by the Directorate of Project Monitoring and Evaluation the best in the state. “The lawmaker has completed the boarding school constituency project at the Government Secondary School, Anyama, the constituency electrification project at Ologi, headmaster’s quarters at Otuedu while many primary school projects are ongoing”, he said.

    He noted that the lawmaker has been at the vanguard of paying school and WAEC fees of students from the constituency adding that his medical, infrastructural and social programmes were unbeatable.

    After thoroughly assessing the performances of the legislator. The constituents moved a motion to adopt him as their preferred choice for 2015. In unison, they gave him a clean bill of health.

    In his acceptance, Emoto promised more effective representation vowing to attract more development to the area.