The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Niger Delta University

  • Refocusing Niger Delta University for academic excellence

    It is no longer a fact in dispute that the development and survival of any nation lies not in the abundance of natural resources but lies in massive investment in the education of its people and ultimately harnessing the pool of human resources for its technological and economic development.

    A classical example is that of Japan, where there is near absence of any natural resources but has successfully built a technological driven economy to attain a first world status in the comity of nations

    This is largely due to massive investment in its human capital advancement, Research and Development and many nations have followed suit which Bayelsa State cannot be left behind in this global competition.

    Back home in Nigeria, particularly in Bayelsa State, in spite of the abundance of natural resources in oil and gas poverty is still very rife and sadly placed within the unenviable bracket of educationally less developed state.

    Shortly after the creation of Bayelsa State in 1996, confronting the educational advancement of the people readily became a cardinal focus. The then pioneer democratically elected government who, took the bull by the horn to establish the state-owned Niger Delta University in year 2000; basically to bridge the yearning gap of educationally disadvantaged status and this has been sustained by successive administrations.

    Apart from the need to produce men and women to meet the manpower demands of the state; the university was principally set up to fast track a knowledge driven development process in line with global demands.

    To this end, successive vice chancellors and management of the university right from its inception have done their best towards the growth of the institution.

    However, in May 17, 2017 when professor Samuel Gowon Edoumiekumo took over as the Acting Vice Chancellor of the Niger Delta University, the appointment was generally applauded by those who have worked closely with him both in the university and the banking circle where he had carved a niche for himself as an astute banker known for his sense of discipline, focused, highly academic, hardworking with uncommon spirit of team work.

    A man who has burnt the academic candle, with a double PhD in Economics, fellow and member of several professional bodies among these are Historians Education Development Society of Nigeria and Chartered Economists of Nigeria just to mention but a few.

    These are rare qualities of the new leadership which many believe would propel sustained accelerated development in the institution.

    Having served the university at various levels with wide range of cognate experiences, he was widely described as a technocrat and academic per excellence who had grown through the rank of the academia.

    For example, until his appointment as vice chancellor professor Edoumiekumo had served as Head of the prestigious Department of Economics in same institution, where he distinguished himself as an epitome of discipline.

    Professor Edoumiekumo had also served as Dean of faculty of social sciences, and Deputy Vice Chancellor saddled with sensitive responsibilities of the university senate.

    Armed with these experiences in the art of university administration, his remarkable achievements within the one year he served as Acting Vice Chancellor did not come as a surprise to many, given the charisma and dynamism he brought to bear in confronting the myriads of challenges he inherited.

    Having earned the confidence reposed in him, one of the critical concerns the Acting Vice Chancellor quickly identified was the challenges of accreditation of courses in the university.

    With the gracious support and the political will wielded by the education friendly governor of the state, Right Honourable Henry Seriake Dickson, the professor Samuel Edoumiekumo led management of the institution was able to secure the accreditation of a number of courses in quick succession.

    On assumption of duties, the VC promptly addressed the problem of epileptic power supply, which is a major problem in Nigerian universities. ntil his appointment various Departments were constrained to using power generating sets which constituted a lot of environmental nuisance and health hazards.  Today the university enjoys steady electricity power supply to the admiration of even his ardent critics.

    This has earned the confidence of both students and general public in the running of the university as a true citadel of learning.

    Another sterling achievement within the one year professor Edoumiekumo acted as the Vice Chancellor is the strong drive at entrenching transparency and all inclusive administration in line with international best practice.

    Apart from prompt payment of imprest and overheads to Heads of Department and Units to achieve maximum output of workers; he has also put in place a functional information communication Technology, ICT which is running in full capacity. By this development, all the unnecessary university charges and cumbersome registration processes have been reduced to the barest level.

    In addition to that, an online live stream television has been set up to close the communication gap within the university environment.

    Furthermore, worried by the incessant vandalization and stealing of the institution’s property, professor Edoumiekumo swiftly stepped up the security architecture by extending the perimeter fencing of the university, as well as installation of security gadgets in strategic locations around the school.

    This has gone a long way to allay the fears and security concerns of both staff and students.

    In a related development, the vice chancellor who is fondly called the “digital VC” has left no stone unturned at stamping out cultism and sundry crimes for the purpose of creating the much needed  enabling environment for creativity and academic to thrive.

    Moreover, one chest beating achievement recorded within the period is the initiative to complement government funding by putting in place measures at shoring up the internal Generation of Revenue, IGR of the university.

    Besides placing premium on research and development geared towards revenue generation, it has also taken bold steps in establishing and incorporating the first ever Niger Delta university Farm in the core areas of Fish Farming where the Deltaic areas are known for its comparative advantages.

    In same vein, the university has secured the running of the state-owned Bayelsa palm and the school – to Land Projects programme to engage in agro-allied businesses.

    In addition to its retinue of inward looking business activities, for the first time the university established its own brand of table water and detergents branded after the university otherwise called the NDU water and detergents.

    The university has also completed the process to secure license for the establishment of a Micro Finance Bank to be known as the Niger Delta University Micro Finance Bank.

    When the bank eventually becomes functional, it will stimulate business activities and generate revenue to meet the competing funding obligations of the institution.

    This is a brilliant demonstration of ingenuity and practical translation of intellectual prowess towards turning around fortunes of the university which the much expected benefits  will come in no distance time.

    Meanwhile, students admission have been increased from 4,000 to 5,500. This is essentially to reduce the frustrations of millions of admission seekers.

    Besides creating cordial relationship with federal government intervention agencies, it has also attracted private donors to the development of the university.

    Interestingly, the efforts are yielding positive results as some of whom have endowed chairs with pledges to build a befitting university Guest House, while work had already commenced to build a central laboratory in fulfillment of their promises.

    Also to mention is the NEEDS Assessment and TETFUND funded projects facilitated by the professor Edoumiekumo led management of the university. When completed these projects will go a long way to provide world-class infrastructure befitting of a university community.

    On sporting and recreation, it has provided a volley ball court and lavishly improved on the university football pitch to promote physical fitness, and unity among staff and students.

    In the area of promoting students’ unionism, it is salutary to mention that, for the first time in the history of the university, it introduced electronic voting system to enable students freely conduct peaceful and hitch free election of students leaders without undue interference in the process by the university authority which is quite uncommon in students’ unionism in Nigeria universities.

    As a veteran of students’ unionism in his undergraduate days, it is the conviction of professor Edomiekumo that promoting such values of unionism is one sure way of entrenching the culture of academic freedom and participatory management of the institution.

    Little wonder, these liberal approach to management of the university has earned him several awards accolades and among these are: the pan African servant award by African students union parliament, a Positive Transformer, new Hope and innovative agent award conferred by students of the Niger Delta university and that of distinguished economist award by the department of Economics at the university of Nigeria, NSUKKA, just to mention but a few.

    As a matter of fact these are no mean administrative and academic achievements coming at a time many universities are contending with paucity of funding and could barely survive.

    It will not be out of place to describe Professor Samuel Edoumiekumo as a leading light and indeed a primus inter-peres in the community of international scholars, who has ploughed his intellectual arsenals and the ever determined spirit to reposition the State owned Niger Delta University.

    While commending the visitor to the university, Governor Seriake Dickson for deeming it necessary for the confirmation of the appointment of professor Edoumikumo as substantive Vice Chancellor of the Niger Delta University, in the spirit of continuity; the Vice chancellor should be encouraged to keep up the fine spirit which he has so far demonstrated.

    Staff and Students of the institution must bear in mind that the development of Bayelsa State squarely rests on the quality of manpower churned out by the university.

    And must shun all forms of mischief, eye-service syndrome, praise singers and remain unflinchingly committed towards refocusing the university for the overall development of the State and the nation in general.

    Already, the good news of working in harmony with the workers’ union is a welcome development and should be sustained.

    Hence, it is cheering to know about the on-going efforts to attract world-class scholars to stimulate the much needed creativity, excellence and service in line with the motto and vision of the university.

    The academic and non academic staff of the institution should as a matter of imperative keep at the back of their mind, that working in harmony with management of the university is the only way to realize the noble objective of establishing the university.

    They have to avoid unnecessary bickering and see themselves as agents and partners of positive change in resisting the temptations of being used as political tools by agents of destabilization. This will yield nothing but counterproductive to the vision of the institution and image of the state.

    Fomenting mindless industrial crisis is an ill wind that will blow no one any good.

    It is pertinent to mention too, that the host communities of the university should see themselves as partners in progress of the university and avoid acts capable of constituting a cog in the wheel of progress of the institution.

    The host communities should also bear in mind that hosting such an institution is a huge privilege. Engaging in any acts of hostility will amount to abuse of hosting the university and will definitely send a dangerous signal to international community of scholars as well as at the detriment of the state image.

    What the time demands is for all critical stakeholders to work in unity of purpose rather than indulging in acts of cross purposes.

    Just like the holy scripture rightly says, that, “the people rejoice when the righteous rule” – the appointment of professor Samuel Edoumiekumo is an affirmation of the light that has come to stay in development of the university.

    Above all, and sundry must work together in one accord, by ensuring that the Niger Delta University becomes the educational tourism destination in the world to the envy of all.

     

  • Governor Dickson resolves Amassoma crisis

    …NDU to reopen soon

     

    The Bayelsa State Government, on Friday, took positive steps to resolve the crisis that engulfed Amassoma community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state.

    The State Governor, the Honourable Seriake Dickson, who held meetings with various stakeholders, including the leadership of the community and the Governing Council of the Niger Delta University (NDU), expressed regrets over the sad incident and assured that the government would pick the bills of the injured and the burial expenses of the victims.

    He said a formal delegation would also be sent to commiserate with the bereaved families while those detained by the police would be released, stressing that efforts were on to ensure the reopening of NDU to resume academic activities as soon as possible.

    He called on the people of the state to be wary of those he described as failed political leaders and desperate aspirants bent on fomenting crisis to destabilise the state.

    A press release by the Special Adviser on Public Affairs, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, said Governor Dickson, who was accompanied to the meeting with the Amassoma community by former Delta State Governor, Chief James Ibori, at the DSP Alamieyeseigha Banquet Hall in Yenagoa, described the incident as unfortunate, sad and avoidable and urged the people not to take the laws into their hands.

    He said the government would set up two separate committees to examine the immediate and remote causes of the disturbances as well as promote genuine reconciliation, peace and unity in Amassoma.

    Read Also: Bayelsa’s troubled university

    While noting that his administration had made unparalleled investments in the university, he decried the attitude of politicians who always capitalised on the institution as a vulnerable avenue to instigate crisis to blackmail the government.

    Governor Dickson urged Bayelsans to always guard against misinformation and propaganda peddled by such politicians whom he noted was envious of the present administration’s track record of achievements in the last six years.

    He maintained that Amassoma occupies a special place in his heart, which informed his administration’s decision not only to invest in the development of NDU but also siting of its single biggest investment, which is the N80 billion Bayelsa international airport project in the community.

    His words: “The NDU remains a state-owned university, completely funded by the government of Bayelsa State. And that is an institution where all Bayelsans have an equal stake.

    “With the investments we have made and continue to make, it is very clear that our plans for the NDU are good apart from the administration that took the step to set up the institution. We must commend them for their vision and foresight. There is no other government in Bayelsa State that has put in more resources, time and energy towards building a sustainable NDU than this government.

    “So I call on people to ignore the propaganda by failed political leaders in this state and desperate politicians who have nothing to show for their ambitions and for their plans; those who want to install their cronies.”

    In his remarks, Chief James Ibori expressed support to the reform agenda of the state governor and urged the people, especially Amassoma community, to rally round government to attract more development.

    In his presentation, the representative of the youth leadership of Amassoma, Mr. Simeon Ayogoi, condemned the action of the youths who attacked the police operatives drafted to maintain law and order in the community.

    He also took a swipe at the police for firing live bullets, describing the conduct as most unprofessional.

    The meeting, which observed a minute silence in honour of those who lost their lives in the crisis, had in attendance the Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah (rtd), Speaker of the House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Konbowei Benson, Head of Service, Rev. Thomas Zidafamor, chairman of the state Traditional Rulers Council, King Alfred Diete Spiff.

    The Ebenanaowei of Ogboin Kingdom, King Oweipa Jones Ere, Amananaowei of Amassoma community, Major Graham Naingba (rtd), and other stakeholders represented the community.

    Earlier, the governor met with the NDU management team, including the Pro-Chancellor, Prof. Steve Azaiki, and the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Samuel Edoumiekumo at the Government House, Yenagoa.

  • Bayelsa’s troubled university

    All is not well with the Niger Delta University (NDU). The university located on Wilberforce Island, Amassoma, Southern Ijaw has suddenly become a theatre of war. The once peaceful Bayelsa State-owned university is now a shadow of itself.

    NDU’s recent travails started with a protest. Women of Amassoma, the host community, commenced a demonstration that is threatening the existence of the pioneer tertiary institution founded by their late son and former Governor Diepreye Alamiyeiseigha.

    The protest was not ordinary. It was laced with oddity and soon involved youths of the community. Most of the aged women who trooped out to engage in the protest bared it all. Some were half naked, others bared their flappy breasts. They barricaded the main road leading to Amassoma preventing students and other stakeholders from accessing the community.

    Some youths from the community helped them to carry a mock coffin draped with the pictures of the Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson. They freely abused the governor, who brought some laudable projects including the soon-to-be completed International Cargo Airport to their community. They later buried the mock coffin after ritual that was described as a bad omen.

    The protesters were not done. They continued to occupy the road denying people movement to their legitimate businesses. In fact, they occupied the road. The protesters took their anger to the university and poured their venom on workers on campus. They bolted the university’s gate. To permanently close the main campus, they hired services of a welder, who sealed the gate.

    Why the protest

    The protest was directed at the management of the university. Most of the protesters were removed from the payroll of the university for reaching retirement age. Others were retrenched for redundancy. The university was bleeding financially and there was an urgent need to ensure efficiency and productivity.

    Hitherto, the state government allocated over N500m monthly to the university. The entire money was used to pay only salaries. No project was undertaken and no wall was painted from the money. The school was overpopulated by workers and it was carrying a ratio of 70 non-academic workers to 30 academic employees.

    It became obvious that the development could no longer be sustained especially when the government adopted a productive template for the five state tertiary institutions as a state policy.

    Tertiary institutions in the state including NDU were asked to key into the ongoing public sector reform in the state. They were urged to employ only the number of workers required for them to efficiently discharge their functions like their counterparts in other states.

    The state government decided to give monthly subventions to all the tertiary institutions. NDU receives the highest subvention of N350m. The College of Education (COE) gets N100m; University of Africa (UOA), N75m; Aleibiri Polytechnic N50m and the Health Technology N40m.

    The Governing Council of NDU chaired by Prof. Steve Azaiki and the school’s management in the spirits of the reforms allowed a verification exercise that revealed employment illegalities. Ghost workers, overaged and many redundant workers were discovered and the school decided to weed them off.

    About 1700 workers of the university were penciled down for redeployment, retirement and outright dismissal. Describing the reforms as good for the university, Azaiki expressed the council’s readiness to implement the government’s policy of sanitizing the public service.

    He  noted that a practice where the university solely depended on the state government to fund its over-bloated workforce was unsustainable. He commended Governor Dickson for his bold steps and absolved the governor of any blames in the current shake-up that affected 1,700 workers in the university.

    He said: “It was the leadership of the university that listed the affected staff following the outcome of a discreet verification to make for more efficiency, better service delivery as well as create space for the employment of young qualified people, particularly Bayelsans.

    “The amount of money that government has been giving to NDU is not sustainable. Suppose oil price falls or there are issues of governance or politics, anything can happen and then the university will collapse. So, we need to look inwards and see how we can come up with a sustainable figure”.

    In fact, the protesters were among those fired by the school management. They decided to make Amassoma uninhabitable until their names are returned to the payroll. But Dickson waded into the crisis between the host community and the school management. He promised to give the affected workers additional three-month salaries.

    Foreboding pervades Amassoma 

    It was obvious that trouble was lurking around when the protesters remained adamant. Looming danger became more visible when the state police command insisted that public procession must be conducted within the confines of the law and good judgment.

    The command in a statement signed by its Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Asinim Butswat, warned against increasing public procession and blockage of access roads by agitators, interest groups, communities and protesters without formal notifications or approval from the relevant authority.

    The statement said: “This conduct is not only illegal but has the potential for miscreants and undesirable elements in the society to take undue advantage to pose threat to lives and property.

    “The command recognizes the constitutional rights of law abiding citizens for processions, picketing or other forms of protest but these rights must be exercised within the confines of the law.   The command will process and provide security cover for any legitimate procession or public protest which is part of democratic policing.

    “The command therefore warns all those involved in these unwholesome practices to stop forthwith and desist from this act which will likely give rise to invitation to treat to hoodlums and never do wells that are looking for the slightest opportunity to disrupt the harmony and tranquility of the State.

    “The command will not hesitate to visit the full weight of the law on any individual or group of persons that takes law into his or her hands. The command wish to solicit for the cooperation of the good people of Bayelsa State to be law abiding and to report any suspicious movement of persons to the nearest police station.

    “Bayelsans must never allow the peace and security in the State to be disrupted.  The command is fully prepared and motivated to protect life and property and deal with mischief makers decisively in accordance to the law”.

    Condemnation trails casket-bearing protesters 

    Some Ijaw leaders also appealed to the protesters to apply restraint. While acknowledging their rights to protest, they insisted that they method adopted by the aggrieved persons was offensive and lacked decency.

    A former President of the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) Worldwide, Mr. Udengs Eradiri, said it was unfortunate that such uncivil protest was targeted at Dickson despite his efforts to better the lives of his people.

    “It is unfortunate that a governor like Dickson who has been doing a lot to better the lives of the people will be reduced to this level. But whoever carried such coffin carried it on his head”, he said.

    He described the developments in NDU, where the number of non-academic staff was far greater than the academic staff, and other public institutions in the state as unsustainable.

    He said previous administrations including former governors Goodluck Jonathan and Timipre Sylva were afraid to confront the corruption in the civil service to avoid backlashes. But he said Dickson deserved praises for demonstrating courage to remove fraudsters from the system to ensure a discipline workforce.

    Eradiri appealed to the governor not to allow protests and opposition to stop him from achieving the objectives of the reforms. He said: “What Governor Dickson needs is the support of Bayelsans. No state can sustain what is happening in Bayelsa where the wage bill will be competing with Lagos State.

    “The wage bill in Bayelsa is about third in the country. How many are we? This is happening because of irregularities in the civil service. But the governor decided that he would not sit down and allow the system to collapse. He decided to take a decision to sanitize the system.

    “If what is happening is allowed to continue, the system will definitely collapse. You see what is happening to oil. It is no longer fashionable and everybody is looking for an alternative source of income.

    “There has been an embargo in employment in Bayelsa State. Young people have not been employed, yet they are graduating every year. There are many unqualified people in the state civil service. Some are supposed to have retired, others have fake certificates and false promotions.

    Eradiri added that Dickson showed a human face in implementing the reforms by paying affected persons three-month salaries in lieu of retirement.

    “I think Dickson needs to be commended instead of the protest and ridicule they are exposing the state to. I want to appeal to the governor that he should not allow this blackmail to dampen his resolve to implement the reforms.

    “No amount of blackmail should make him change his mind. If the aim is to create a discipline workforce and create jobs for the teeming young people, he should continue because posterity won’t forget him.

    “Creating jobs for the young people will help to reduce the crimes in our society because people are graduating without jobs. Our parents are the ones occupying the positions thy are not supposed to occupy. Dickson should begin the process of recruitment so that as you are laying off, you are recruiting”.

    Also speaking a female member of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Kate Owoko, condemned the coffin-carrying protesters saying it was the handiwork of disgruntled elements.

    Owoko, who represents Southern Ijaw Constituency 1 said: “The protesters are not true daughters and sons of Amassoma but were imported from neighbouring communities. The protest was politically-motivated”.

    To avert an impending disaster, the government dispatched a team led by the Chief of Staff, Talford Ongolo and the Commissioner for Education, Jonathan Obuebite to meet with the school authority and negotiate with the protesters.

    At the end of the parley, the parties agreed that the school should be reopened and that the school management should review the list of sacked workers. A communique containing the agreement was issued at the negotiation. But the community later reneged and refused to reopen the school.

    The Riot

    In fact, the community will not forget in a hurry the event of May 22. Detachment of riot policemen and operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and soldiers took over the gate of the school. The armed security operatives arrived early in the morning forcefully opened the school’s gate.

    The forceful opening of the school did not go down well with the community folks. Youths mobilised in their numbers and surged towards the security operatives. It resulted to a clash that forced security operatives to call for reinforcement. Guns boomed in the community; teargas saturated the air; businesses were forced to close down and people ran to different direction for safety.

    Some youths died in the ensuing melee and many others were injured. The community was in disarray and the incident sent tongues wagging. While some persons blamed the school management for mismanaging the situation, others knocked the community for overreacting and attacking security operatives on duty.

    A former Acting Governor of the state, Chief Nestor Binabo, asked security operatives to apply caution insisting that the problem could only be resolved by sustained dialogue between the community and the government.

    Binabo urged security operatives to immediately leave Amassoma community to avoid further bloodshed in the area. He said: “This whole issue shouldn’t have been allowed to escalate to this level. Security operatives including soldiers have no business in this matter.

    But the police said they arrested 18 persons in connection with the riot. They said the protesters attacked them first with guns and injured some of their officials. According to Butswat, the PPRO, the protesters vandalised their vehicles and torched their divisional headquarters in the community.

    The Bayelsa State Government blamed the uprising in Amassoma on hoodlums and cultists. It assured indigenes and residents of adequate protection from hoodlums and cultists in the community. The government urges all residents of the community to go about their normal activities without fear of intimidation or harassment.

    The Special Adviser to the Governor on Public Affairs, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, said the security personnel deployed in Amassoma were on duty to ensure protection of lives and property, including the NDU, which is a state government investment.

    Alabrah called on leaders of the community to collaborate with security operatives to ensure residents are protected and to go about their businesses without any hindrance.

    Alabrah stated further that the hoodlums attacked and vandalised the police division, part of the university and attempted to disarm security personnel who were deployed to keep the peace. He also said these elements were not staff of the NDU and are not affected by the reforms.

    Opposition Reacts 

    The opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) also condemned the Tuesday’s incident. In a statement released on Wednesday and signed by APC’s State Publicity Secretary-Elect, Mr. Doifie Buokoribo, the party described the killings as an unwarranted display of raw power against defenceless natives.

    It blamed the government for failing to exercise mature leadership through sincere dialogue with the protesting residents, but opted for the use of force on the citizens. APC lamented what it called “pointless cruelty” by the government against the community.

  • At Niger Delta University we teach Fine Arts with limited resources

    Sylvester Ebigbagho is an associate professor of Fine and Applied Arts at the Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, Amassoma, Bayelsa State.  In this interview with Edozie Udeze  in Yenagoa, he talks about how his over two decades of studio experiences, versatility on the job and more help in his handling of the students even when harsh economic situation in the school is somewhat unbearable.  Excerpts:     

    Sylvester Ebigbagho is a Fine Artists and a lecturer.  At the Niger Delta University, Amassoma, Bayelsa State, where he lectures, he handles graphic communications, drawings, which involves illustrations and advertising designs.  These are rare aspects of the visual arts, but they are taught now in order to let the students be conscious of the modern trends  in the profession.  In an interview in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, Ebigbagho stressed the fact that these areas of the art are his main focus for now.

    He began his teaching career at the university in 2003.  Before then he was a studio artist in Ilorin, Kwara State for more than two decades.  It was two decades of total dedication to the versatile issues of contemporary art.  “From 2003 till date, I’ve been teaching and ensuring that these aspects of the art remain permanent features in the school programme”, he posited.

    A graduate of Fine Arts from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State, Abigbagho was almost the only employed staffer of the Niger Delta University in the Fine Arts Department at inception.  “Yes I can safely say that from that moment in 2003 all the students of Fine Arts were graduated by me.  The rest of the lecturers were on part time then.  Some of the teachers had just graduated from the University of Benin”.

    Before, becoming a teacher of art, Ebigbagho was out there doing the best he could to sell the art.  “Then a lot of my friends said to me, why don’t you go in there and teach Fine Arts to the younger ones?  At a point, I took up the challenge and here we are now.  I was in Ilorin as a studio artist.  But at that point in 2002 I felt my masters degree from ABU was already 13 years old.  And I said to myself, I’ve been paining, drawing and all that.  I’d go to Lagos with some of my works, sell them and make money.  But after that, what else”.

    It was this realization that hit into his consciousness.  “Then I thought of taking a part time programme to do my doctorate in Fine Arts.  It was in  the process of that quest that I was asked to become a lecturer.  This was how I came here to the Niger Delta University in 2003.  When I came in, I first looked at the curriculum to see where to make amends and what and what to do to make it better.  I saw that there were certain parts of the contents that needed to be updated.  Most of those things were theory based.  We needed to make them more practical”, he presented.

    Now an associate professor of Fine and Applied Arts, Ebighagho who left ABU in 1987, said  he has a lot to offer to the students. He opined, “from 1990 till when I went to the university, I was a full time studio artist in Ilorin.  Now, all those experiences and expertise needed to be explored for the good of my students.  I knew they needed me.  So when I came in, I told them that those theoretical expressions needed to be turned into practical experiences while we taught them in classes.  This was so, because I believed it would help the students who will later go to the wider world to practice .  Then I had to inject most of those experiences into what we taught”.

    And so when they were to restructure the department, his noble ideas were  put into consideration, those studio experiences of decades ago, became the pivot points to take Fine Arts to the desired level.  Ebigbagho averred, “these practical areas equally reflected in the post graduate courses.  We ensured that whoever was graduating should have current knowledge in the field.  So, basically it was in the area of content, practical content, that I made tremendous contributions to ensure a better department of Fine and Applied Arts in the university”.

    Ebigbagho who has some world-acclaimed portraits of some world leaders and has exhibited in choice studios all over the world is ever eager to see a society where the best is given to ensure sound and impeccable education for the youth.  “Yes, fortunately for us, the different aspects of the Fine Arts are given undivided attention in the school.  We have six areas of the arts in the university.  We have ceramics, we have graphics, we also have industrial designs.  We equally have metal designs and so on.  Then art history is now a general course all the students take.  So these specializing units have experts who handle them.  Yet, the staffing is still very inadequate.  This is where the problem lies so that we can give the students the best to be able to face tomorrow.  Where you are to have seven to ten lecturers you still have one or two, taking the whole courses.  As a result, in terms of quality delivery, we neglect some of the cogent areas”, he lamented.

    So for now, it is imperative that more Fine Arts teachers are employed to make the students better prepared to face life when they leave school.  “We only teach most of the things that are basic to help the students cope when they graduate”, he explained. “At the moment, the strategy adopted to have more students in the department is working”, he reasoned.  “Those who apply to read Fine Arts is extremely discouraging.  You can hardly find up to five applying every year.  It is so because most secondary schools do not offer Fine Arts in the state.  So, the feeder from where the university would get students is disjointed, in total disarray.  So to help the department, those who are not given admission into other areas are pushed into Fine and Applied Arts .  So, we now begin to teach them from the scratch, as if you don’t know anything about the art”.

    But with the vigour they use to teach them, within four years, these students show amazing zeal in knowledge.  “ That is the joy we get”,  he enthused, shaking his head in self actualization.  “The performance of these students in 400 level compete favourably with other universities in Nigeria.  It is a thing that still surprises us.  And we do this with the limited resources we have with the harsh economic situation in the society.  It is indeed so amazing, so encouraging when you see these students bubbling with ideas and knowledge”,  he surmised, smiling with unbridled enthusiasm.

    In 2010 when Nigeria turned 50, Ebigbagho proved his professional acumen.  He was involved in a solo exhibition executed by  National Museums and Monuments in Ilorin.  It was a glorious outing for him.  “Yes it was titled across cultural divide.  The works represented Nigeria when cultures were respected and celebrated”, he demonstrated.  And so for him the need to keep Fine arts ever alive is a continuum.

                                   

  • Linkage, Niger Delta University partner on insurance talent

    LInkage Assurance Plc in collaboration with the Niger Delta University (NDU) has begun  moves to harness exceptional talents for the insurance industry.

    This is targeted at giving opportunities to students of insurance, actuarial and financial management as well as those in mathematics and engineering sciences to make career in insurance and actuarial.

    Linkage Assurance Plc Managing Director, Dr Pius Apere, who led management of the company on a career talk to the university community, said the industry is in serious need of actuarial professionals, more so that the sector is getting bigger with a lot of growth potentials.

    Apere, who was received by the Acting Vice Chancellor, Professor Samuel Edoumiekumo and the council members of the university at its main campus in Bayelsa State, underscored the commitment of Linkage Assurance to help exceptional students of the institution make career in the industry.

    Dr Pius Apere, who presented a paper  titled: Are You Fit To Be An Actuary,  said Linkage was instituting an award of N200,000 to the  best graduating student in insurance beginning from this academic session.

    Besides that, the company is also offering internship opportunity to 300 – 400 level students of insurance, and opportunity for absorption after graduation.

    According to him, Linkage plans to set up an Actuarial Unit in 2018, and best three candidates with Maths, Physics, Engineering or other strong quantitative degrees will be considered for immediate employment.

    Edoumiekumo thanked the company for the partnership, adding that his administration is committed to enhancing the relationship between the university and industries, in the different sectors of the economy, so that products of the university will have practical experience before they move into the labour market.

    Edoumiekumo expressed the determination of the university to provide the needed platforms that  will give students the opportunity to advance their career while still undergraduates, pointing that what Linkage has done was a long dream that has come true.

    Imo O. Imo, Head of Strategy of the company, explained the career opportunities in the industry to the university community, while urging the students to take advantage of this eye-opener to plan their career.

    He challenged them to start taking professional examinations while still in school, as that is the only way to make them competitive and candidates of choice in the labour market after graduation.

  • African students take medical rhapsody to Dickson’s community

    African students take medical rhapsody to Dickson’s community

    The people of Toru-Orua, the hometown of Governor Seriake Dickson, in Sagbama, Bayelsa State, woke up recently to behold a team of medical experts in their domain. At first, they were surprised. But they later received their August visitors with excitement.

    The visitors were members of the Federation of African Medical Students’s Association (AMSA), an organisation comprising medical students from all medical faculties and institutions in Africa. They were led to the community by their new President, Miss Winifred Esite.

    Esite, a 22-year old final year student of the Niger Delta University (NDU), Amassoma, Bayelsa, was recently elected the 32nd President of the association, which cuts across 35 African countries.

    The vibrant young lady, who hails from Ogboinbiri in Southern Ijaw defeated other contestants and rose above her challenges including financial constrains to emerge victorious in the election that was recently held in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital.

    Esite, who is the first female President of the association, won the election with 94 per cent of the vote cast and has since then been leading her new executive council to mark global medical events in Bayelsa.

    Prior to her new position, Esite was the President of the Niger Delta University Medical Students Association (NDUMSA), South-South Regional Coordinator for Medical Students and the President Nigerian Medical Students Association (NMSA).

    Also before the medical outreach in Toru-Orua, Esite was involved in the World Antibiotics Awareness Week, a World Health Organisation week-long programme held annually in November to create public awareness about the gains and dangers of antibiotics.

    Therefore, the Toru-Orua medical outreach was part of the activities to mark the HIV/AIDS week. The residents of Toru-Orua, a rural settlement which was transformed into a town by Dickson, came out en masse to participate in the programme.

    The medical students set up their equipment and other few medical materials they came with. The people were not shy of knowing their HIV statuses. The students first took the residents through pretest counseling. They later conducted HIV test on the residents and took them through post-test counseling.

    The result was amazing. Among all the 150 persons, screened for HIV, none was positive. The development was an indication that residents in Dickson’s community were maintaining a healthy lifestyle and perhaps indulging in safe sex.

    But Esite and her group distributed male and female condoms to the people and lectured them on how to use them. The medical experts also tasked themselves to provide snacks and soft drinks to the people who showed up for the exercise.

    In fact, the excited residents commended the students for taking personal interest in their health. They thanked the students and appealed to them to return to the community for another health mission.

    The Chairman of the Community Development Committee CDC) particularly urged Esite to arrange another visit for a medical mission on malaria. He described Esite as a proud Ijaw girl and a good example for the youths.

    Esite, in her remarks, said she would use her position to bring health benefits to the people in the state, the country and Africa. She said other medical activities had been lined up for the state. But she complained about financial constraints.

    She commended the state Governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson, for his developmental strides in the health sector with the establishment of a world-class diagnostic centre, general hospitals in each local government areas and converting Government House Clinic to a general hospital.

    “But for the first time in the history of AMSA, the President is from Nigeria, from Bayelsa State. I have many programmes lined up and I am calling on the governor to partner with our association for more development and progress in the health sector”, she said.

    She said the association was suffering from financial constraints but thanked the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson and his counterpart in Health, Prof. Nicholas Etebu, for their encouragement.

    “We would like to come back to Toru-Orua for medical mission on malaria. We hope the government will support us to actualise the yearnings of the people”, she said.

    On her recent election as the first female president of AMSA, she said: “I am not so particular about me being a female. I have always wanted to do whatever it is that I feel it right with me. If I feel I need something I don’t look at myself as female. I just believe that if a man can do it, I can do it probably even better.

    “My vision is to establish a better communication among the African countries. We have anglophone and francophone countries in the association. There is a bit of language barrier which can always be breached and I would want a situation where they can be more programmes that bring us together.

    There is always this issue of transportation. When something is happening on West Africa, it is always difficult for the East Africa to come over. I would want better relationships with medical schools so that we can meet more often. So, far it has been tough but the people working with me have been helpful especially from the headquarters.

    “Ijaw women can achieve anything. There is no barrier apart from the barrier they have in their mind. If you desire to achieve something, put some efforts to achieve it”.

     

  • Tears as Bayelsa varsity VC buries younger sister 

    This is not the best of times for the family of the acting Vice-Chancellor, Niger Delta University (NDU), Prof. Samuel Edoumiekumo. The professor wept recently. He has not come to terms with the loss of his younger sister, Mrs. Peace Edoumiekumo Joshua.

    Who would not cry for such an incalculable loss. Peace, a young beautiful and intelligent Ijaw woman died at a tender age of 29. She died on August 29, 2017 leaving behind her husband and a baby girl.

    Her demise drew tears from everyone, who heard about it. Peace also studied at NDU and graduated from Accounting Education Department. She was full of dreams. She wasted no time to tie the nuptial knot with Mr. Berekumo Joshua, when she was in her 200level. She was described by her peers as a woman of faith.

    But her world came crumbling when she became sick before her graduation. She managed the condition till she graduated and got a call-up letter to serve her fatherland.  The sickness would not just go away. The family rushed her to the Federal Medical Centre to be treated of the undisclosed ailment.

    Peace was later referred to the Eko Hospital in Lagos for further treatment, where she later gave up the ghost. Her family members recalled that she warned them never to seek any fetish solution to her situation. “Never take me to an herbalist place. Instead, let me die on the altar of God”, she had said.

    She eventually breathed her last and left the VC and her husband broken-hearted. Her funeral in Yenagoa was attended by most of the people who crossed her path and other sympathisers especially from the NDU.

    In his tribute, her husband, Joshua, he could not understand her early exit. “I just cannot bring myself to realise that you are no more. I still wait every second for you to call me those names that make me laugh, ‘Blue Band’, ‘Jonjon Boy’ and ‘husband of my youth’”.

    He daughter Grace, said she would never forget her love. “Yo were always there for me. I don’t understand what Daddy is saying happened, but I miss you and hope to see you someday”, the little Grace said.

    All her family members described her as a precious and wonderful lady. They said she was caring even in her sickbed.

     

  • Why violence persists in Niger Delta, by don

    Professor Ibaba Ibaba recently spoke truth to power. Without fear or favour, the Professor of Political Science, in the Bayelsa State-owned Niger Delta University (NDU), identified the problems with Niger Delta peace and development.

    It was the 28th Inaugural lecture of NDU. The main auditorium of the university was set. Scholars, activists, politicians, lecturers, the clergy and people from various walks of life gathered and enthusiastically waited for the well-publicized lecture. The name of the lecturer was the main reason why they were gathered.

    In the academia, Ibaba is a household name. He is a fearless  and courageous speaker. Ibaba has done many thorough researches into the problems and solutions to issues of development bugging the region. He is, indeed, an authority.

    Little wonder, crowd of persons trooped to the auditorium to listen to a topic he entitled , “Mopping the Wet Floor While Overlooking Leaking Roof: Rethinking Peace-building in the Niger Delta”. How could the professor link a mere domestic chore like mopping a floor to the overall problem of violence and development in the Niger Delta region?

    The minds that attended the lecture debated the questions. They eagerly waited for the meaning of the symbolic title. The meaning later became clearer as the professor mounted the podium to creat a perfect linkage.

    Elucidating his points, Ibaba, whose speech was occasionally interrupted by applauses from the audience, opined that that the leaking roof symbolises the root causes of the Niger Delta problems. He said the unaddressed external issues acted as the propeller of violence and explained why bloody agitations had persisted in the region despite cosmetic efforts by various levels of government to address them.

    According to the professor, the leaking roof is the country’s perverted federal system of government that is yet to be restructured; ethnicization of resource allocation; the Petroleum Act, Land Use Act, Oil Minerals Act and Oil Pipelines Act, among others.

    He said: “Significantly, these issues are fundamental to peace-building in the region. First is horizontal inequalities (HI) among the different ethnic nationalities in the region, and the resultant suspicion, antagonism and fear of domination of one group by another.

    “The second point is the socio-cultural context of the region that has aided the total disregard and contempt for hard work, dignity of labour and the public good, and the production of personality traits that undermine peace and security.

    “Third is the crisis in the region, and the resultant poor quality of governance, service delivery, overt corruption and the consequent neglect of development. The fourth issue is overlooking the consequences of the violence such as the exposure of young adolescents and youths to violence and the subsequent neglect of behaviour modification in the peace building process.

    “The fifth point to note is the failure to integrate non-oil related but key conflict issues such as climate change into the peace building process”.

    His verdict: “I assert that overlooking the issues noted above has created gaps in the peace-building process. I, therefore, argue that overlooking these gaps is like moping the wet floor of a leaking roof while leaving the points of leakage in the roof unattended to.

    “The peace-building efforts will most likely be futile, the same way the owner or occupant of a house will continue to mop the floor without getting it dry if the leaking roof is not repaired or replaced.

    “Just as the woman in my village has not been able to keep her floor dry whenever it rains because of the failure to mend the leaking roof, the Nigerian state (at all levels – federal, state and local government) has for several years not been able to secure fundamental issues that created the violence and the consequences thereof.

    “My argument does not acquit the present state of the ethnic politics in peace-building. Peace contradictions and consequences of the violence are not addressed. Federal restructuring, resource ownership and control, industrialization cannot stand alone to promote peace in the region.

    “Treating them as stand-alone factors would mean not amending or replacing the leaking roof, and consequently the floor would continue to be wet; suggesting that the region would most likely be in permanent violence”.

    But Ibaba, also turned to political leaders from the region. He did not spare them as he lamented their huge appetite to convert public funds meant for Niger Delta development into their personal use. He gave instances of political leaders who excessively enriched themselves by diverting public funds to build personal estate.

    He insisted that criminal activities such as kidnapping, militancy, cult activities and others were only symptoms of the major problem which is failure of political leaders to utilise and mange resources for the wellbeing of ordinary citizens.

    He noted that while the usual narratives put the blame to faulty federalism, skewed resource allocation and ethnic and tribal politics, the reality was that of a political class that dwelt on ”bread and butter agenda”.

    According to him based on statistics, the six South-South states received over N2.5trn between 2000 and 2008, the highest by any geo-political zone, yet there was nothing to prove that the area had progressed more than others.

    The professor, who is also the Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, lamented that leaders were in the habit of spending few resources on elitist, white elephant projects that had little effect on the quality of lives of the people while the rest went into private pockets.

    He said a research he initiated discovered that most adorn, gigantic mansions around all the state capitals of the region were all owned by past and immediate political leaders of the region.

    He said: ”For lasting peace to reign, there is the dire need for self disciplined, honest and patriotic followership and leadership to mend the leaking roof rather than mop the wet floor.

    ”I want to urge the Federal Government to change its current method of snake head theory in which the leadership of some protesting groups are compromised or intimidated to a more holistic strategy of providing quality governance by using the nation’s resources to enhance the lives of the citizens.”

  • Bayelsa varsity gets acting VC

    Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, has approved the appointment of Prof. Samuel Gowon Edoumiekumo as Acting Vice-Chancellor of the ‎state owned Niger Delta University (NDU).

    A statement from Dickson’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson, said the new appointment followed the expiration of the tenure of the former Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Humprey Ogoni, on May 17‎.

    The statement said the approval was in strict compliance to the traditions of the university system which allow the deputy Vice-Chancellor in charge of administration to act until a substantive vice chancellor is appointed.

    Edoumiekumo‎ was born on April 30, 1970 and obtained his First School Leaving Certificate from Akeindenowei primary school, Toru Angiama and West Africa School Certificate from Ajeromi Ifelodun High School, Lagos, in 1982 and 1988.

    He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree, Master of Science Degree and two Doctor of Philosophy degrees from the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) and the University of Nsukka (UNN) in Economics.

     

     

  • ASUU warns of imminent closure of universities

    ASUU warns of imminent closure of universities

    …Says govt starving workers

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), at the weekend, said universities owned by federal and state governments were faced with imminent closure following lack of prompt payment of staff salaries.

    Speaking at a press conference in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, the Port Harcourt Zone of ASUU said its zone was the worst hit with the issues of shortfall in salaries and unpaid salary arrears.

    The institutions in the zone are the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State; Niger Delta University, Amassoma, Bayelsa State; Federal University, Otuoke, Bayelsa State; Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Rivers State; and the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Rivers State.

    In the news conference titled, ‘Shortfall and drawback of university staff salaries’, the Zonal Coordinator, ASUU, Prof. Beke Sese, said lecturers would no longer continue to endure the situations against the backdrop of current economic hardship in Nigeria.

    Sese described the idea of withholding university staff salaries while establishing new universities at the same time as the height of irresponsibility and wickedeness.

    He said:”Our members are being compelled by the actions and inactions of government to contemplate the hard decision of withdrawing our services.

    ”We call on the students, parents, the media and well-meaning Nigerians to intervene and request the federal as well as state governments to live up to their responsibilities in the universities to avoid the imminent and avoidable closure of our campuses.”

    The professor lamented that last year, the Federal Government and some state governments enforced a policy of starvation in the universities by either paying fractional salaries or outright non-payment of salaries.

    He said academic institutions had become the major recipients of ”this inhuman and abhorrent policy of starvation”, adding that at the Niger Delta University (NDU), lecturers were not paid salaries for a period of six months.

    He lamented that lecturers could no longer cope with caring for their families, paying their children’s school fees and meeting other commitments with such imposed deficit in their income.

    Sese said: ”That academic activities still go on at NDU in the face of this extreme deprivation, is indeed, an exemplary demonstration of patriotism, patience and unbridled commitment to service by members. But the elasticity definitely has a limit and should not be stretched any further.

    ”In both RSUST and IAUE, the government of the state has withheld union check-offs, which by interpretation is tantamount to paying fractional salaries.

    ”In the case of Uniport, fractional salaries were paid throughout last year and when there was hope of the refund of the withheld portion of salaries, the government resumed its policy of paying part salaries.

    ”The administration of the school claimed that there was shortfall in allocation to the institution between July 2016 and December 2016, but shortfall was part of the staff emolument all through the year (2016).”

    In his brief remarks, Chairman, NDU, ASUU, Dr. Stanley Ogoun, said since the suspension of their strike last year, the union had engaged in continuous dialogue and interraction with the Bayelsa State Government.

    But he said that if at the end of the day, all their negotiations with the government failed, the branch might be compelled to sit back at home.

    He said: ”But let me correct an impression: there are sister unions within the university system. Often times, when other unions are on strike, but because ASUU appears to be more popular among them, it is assumed ASUU is on strike. As we speak, other unions in NDU are on strike, not ASUU.”