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Tag: PARENT

  • Parent recounts testy days

    Parent recounts testy days

    • ‘I believe some parents are dead’
    • IG squad arrives in Kaduna

    A father of one of the freed pupils yesterday recounted the testy times he and some of the parents went through during the 17 days their children spent in captivity.

    The parent, Jubril Gwadabe Kuriga, who holds the traditional title of Tafida Kuriga, said parents were traumatised, while some died while their children were in bandits’ captivity.

    Kuriga whose nine-year-old daughter was among the kidnapped children, recalled how he used to wake up in the middle of the night to cry because of the uncertain condition of his daughter.

    He said: “We were traumatised throughout the absence of our children. Our children were away in the bush with no food, no good water.

    “Sometimes at 12 o’clock, 1 o’clock in the night, I would wake up, crying, thinking how is she? Has she eaten? I think of all that because I know if she is at home, normally before she goes to school in the morning, she would eat, when they close by two o’clock before she goes for Islamiyya she takes something.

    “I am always playing with her at home but with her absence now I have been feeling very bad. They said all the children are back but seeing is believing.

    Read Also: Kaduna school abduction: We couldn’t eat, sleep, some parents died, says Father of 9-year-old pupil

    “There is a woman whose four children were among the kidnapped pupils. She could not eat, she could not sleep.

    “Some parents died within the period the children were with kidnappers. I cannot tell you the number of those who died. But I believe some are dead.

    “The government called us and informed us that the children are with them. That is the true story, but we have not seen them yet.

    “They promised us by tomorrow (Monday) they will hand over the children to us. Each student or child will be handed over to the parents.

    “We are feeling happy because it is not easy missing your child for this long period, so, we need to be happy.”

    Speaking on the future of the children’s education in Kuriga, the parent said: “With the presence of security now in our area, our children can go back to school.

    “We are happy that we now have a security presence. We are going to use them to see that our children go back to school.”

    IG special squad arrives

    The Inspector-General of Police Special Intervention Squad sent in response to the resurgence of banditry in Kaduna State, arrived in Kaduna yesterday.

    The squad, which consists of 200 officers and personnel of the Nigeria Police, were received by Governor Uba Sani at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim Government House Kaduna.

    The Squad is equipped with Armoured Personal Carriers otherwise known as APCs and other sophisticated weapons.

    IGP Kayode Egbetokun, during a visit to Governor Sani after the kidnap of the Kuriga school children, promised deployment of a Police Mobile Force (PMF) against banditry in the state.

    The governor, while receiving the squad, expressed appreciation to the IG for fulfilling his promise.

    Governor Sani also expressed appreciation to the Federal Government, particularly President Bola Tinubu and the security agencies for the successful rescue of the kidnapped Kuriga school children.

  • School honours late parent with security lecture

    THE Governing Council of MD School, New Oko-Oba, Agege, has honoured its fallen member Mr Olufemi Kayode Oso,  who was killed by some assailants in Lagos with a lecture.

    It had as the theme: “Safety, options for self-protection”.

    The school’s Executive Director Mrs. Omolara Adedugbe, told the audience how Oso died.

    She said: “On March 4, 2016, he went to work, typical of him. Somebody was setting up an eatery and this person happened to be a colleague of his. He said he would help him set things right. This Saturday, a guy who worked for the eatery came in with one of his friends. They demanded money from Mr. Kayode, who told them he had none. An argument ensued and they stabbed him.”

    To forestall such occurrences in the future, Mrs Adedugbe said the  governing council decided to enlighten parents and teachers about security.

    “Since the incident, the governing council, parents and the teachers, said there was the need to be security conscious.Security should be everybody’s business, the police alone cannot do all. We are under police, if everybody takes security seriously in our environment. If everybody is security conscious, we know what to do,  then I think there will be fewer problems for us and at the end of the day, the society will be better off for it,” she said.

    The guest speaker, Mr Julius Ogundeyi, Assistant Divisional police Officer (DPO), New Oko-Oba, who talked about security consciousness. He said: “Being security conscious is the process of creating awareness campaign in an environment. This is to enable the citizens know what security is about. One should be able to differentiate between their enemies and friends, citizens should be able to know whom, why, how to suspect a criminal.”

    Ogundeyi said security was the business of everyone not just the law enforcement agents.

    “As Nigeria’s security situation increase becomes a dilemma, one tends to ponder where to run to. No, we are to run nowhere; this is our country and, therefore, is a collective responsibility. With about 370,000 policemen to 170 million Nigerians, this is grossly insufficient to police for the entire nation. Therefore, it is a collective responsibility of all to be conscious of their environment.

    “In Nigeria, it is estimated that one police officer is 494 citizens. There is no way policing could be effective with the growing population. Citizens must maintain adequate vigilant, communities must put proper security measures in their locality to checkmate the activities of criminals” he said.

    To be security conscious, Ogundeyi counseled the participants to be friendly with neighbours, vigilant, keep simple lifestyles, never give out information carelessly, keep gadgets close at night, ensure their homes have security equipment, avoid late night outings and examine visitors.

    Eulogising the late Oso, Mrs. Adedugbe said: “If someone has a spirit of community help, empathy and selflessness, it comes naturally for that person, you will see that today almost all aspects of his life have been represented. He was once a PTA chairman, to ensure that parents are carried along and part of bringing up the children in the school. Then after his tenure, all his children had passed out, he didn’t end his relationship with the school, he would come in and check on what’s happening in the school. So, when we wanted to constitute the governing council who else would it be rather than somebody who has been there from the very beginning.

    “When we had issues with the filling station been sited beside the school, he was the one that was representing the school and governing council at every meeting, with the DPR with the Lagos state House of Assembly, with the Commissioners for Planning, everywhere, he left his own personal job to be representing the school” she said.

  • My son surprised me today, says parent

    Well wishers besieged the Ibeju-Lekki residence of Mr. Monrufu Ramon, father of one of the victims, praising God for the safe return of his son.

    Although he turned down pleas to speak with his son, Ramon told The Nation that the boy did something he had never done before.

    He said:”I know you can, from a far distance, but I cannot allow you speak to my son now. I have not spoken to him either. We were asked to give them time and allow them open up on their own, so I am not going to pressure him into speaking.

    “But I can tell you that he surprised me today. He did something he had never done before. He was the one who woke me from sleep early this morning and he told me he wanted to pray for me.

    “My son prayed for me for over 30 minutes. He has never done that before. After the prayer, he told me to sit down and he asked just two things: he asked me if he would return to Igbonla and then he asked about his result.

    “He also told me he wanted a phone and the second thing he asked was whether he would return to that school.

    “I told him he will have the phone. I told him to not bother about the result for now because he is a brilliant student and the best in his class. He is going to SS3.

    “I know my son and know what he would say. But I would not force him.

    “He is not easily frightened and remember, he was the one who went to protect those who were taken by the kidnappers before he was also kidnapped. For now, I am observing him to see if there are changes.”

    Ramon, who spoke several times with the kidnappers told well wishers that Owoseni has changed his perception of the police.

    “I just want you to help us greet that Police Commissioner Fatai Owoseni and officer Disu. Let the world hear it because they tried for us. They were always with us.

    “They never denied us access. There was no time I couldn’t see them. They went inside the bush to meet with us and address the parents.

    “Even when I called at midnight, they would pick my call.

    “The commissioner usually came to my house at night. Disu visited my house more than 10 times. The two of them really changed my impression of the police. They have human feelings.

    “I was the kidnappers’ contact person and for three days, we (parents) were meeting at Epe. The Commissioner was aware of our meeting and he guided us on every step we took.

    “Before the rescue, Disu came to my house at midnight and we had a meeting just the two of us.

    “He didn’t come with police and he told me that he didn’t want anyone around to know about the meeting so that information would not leak. They always encouraged me and other parents. We need more policemen like them in this country.”

    Ramon said his wife remained in shock and was undergoing treatment for blood pressure.

    “It was a terrible period for my family. My wife isn’t here now because she is still receiving treatment,” he said.

    “The shock hit her terribly. For me, I became a shadow of myself. I fainted in my house and was on admission for days.

    “Because of the shock, I was rushed to the hospital three times. I was not like this before. I lost weight, my body was hot and I couldn’t sleep. Do you know what it means for your first son to be with criminals for that long? My sister, it was not easy o!”

    Ramon’s sister, Tawa, who was seen dancing, told The Nation that life has returned to their family with the teenager’s return.

     

  • How not to be a Parent

    Unless we end this new culture of indulgent parenthood, parents will be unwittingly signing their own extinction warrant

    Early this month, the world marked the international day of parents. I guess the world was trying to tell us something; such as it’s not easy to raise a Cassius Clay and bend, twist and tumble him into a Mohammed Ali. It was saying that it is not easy to bring an Albert Einstein into the world, watch him tumble and squirm through all his early exams and then bring out the theory of relativity out of him. It is definitely saying that all those people out there still trying to bring the Einstein out of their little thugs should not despair; there is hope. Einstein almost didn’t get it, but he did, finally.

    There is a saying that children will be the death of those who have them and also the death of those who do not have them. It took me a while to understand that; you know how famously slow I am. When I did come to understand it though, of course I disagreed. As far as I am concerned, parents are quite capable of killing themselves. In fact they have started to do just that, but guess where – in their children.

    Naturally, it can be daunting to find oneself the only thing standing between this wee bundle and the deep floors of River Granges. I tell you, you need nerves of steel to prevent yourself from panicking, calling 911 and immediately tendering your resignation.

    One woman in America was said to have been so lacking in these nerves of steel she took one look at the world, another one at her five children and decided that if they lived on the floor of the river in her town, the world could not reach them with all its drugs, failures, murders, politics and … and badness. So, she drowned them. Another one slit the throat of her four children, also because she was so afraid the world would ruin their angelic looks and character. Naturally, these women were jailed, but the children were safe.

    Honestly, it’s got so bad many parents do not know what to do with their children anymore. If they, the parents, killed the children in their childhood, they would go to jail. If they let these children grow up, it does not favour the parents. To start with, the girl child soon discovers boys, and her voice. That’s when she discovers that her parents are unreasonable and belong to the old school whose candlelight went out long ago. This stage has led many parents to commit murder. Un hun.

           On the other hand, the boy child soon discovers friends, guns and drugs, in that order. His voice comes later to give a million reasons why he should be allowed his freedom to play with all three as he pleases. That is also when he discovers that the very house that gave him shelter from sun, rain and armed robbers has become restrictive and he needs his freedom. This stage has also led many parents to commit disownment. Un hun.

    Please believe me when I tell you that once, the oldest woman in the world was asked if she still had any worries at her age and she replied, ‘not since my youngest child entered the old people’s home.’ Oh, I’ve told you this before? Good, I was afraid I was repeating myself. Obviously, the job of a parent is to have children and worry sick over them.

    ‘Have children; will do things’ has become the credo of many a parent around here though. As an alternative to calling 911 and tendering his/her parenthood resignation or drowning the troublesome tykes in River Granges, many Nigerian parents have found ways to… err, raise the little buggers. First, they tolerate them for around a year till they can totter around on their little trotters, and then they, wait for it, enrol them in lessons, in order to give them an advantageous start in life!

    Clearly, we have finally arrived at the age when parents are ready to do anything for their children. This means that children, not the parents, are wearing the pants in the house now. There was only one pair of pants in my house, and you could immediately see who was wearing them by the size (much bigger than all of us), by the colour (definitely not in our hues) and by the shape (it uses a belt). Now, fashion has come round and round and parents and children are struggling for the same pair of skin-tight pants, and guess who’s winning – the children. How do I know this? Wait.

    In the not too distant past, examinations were a way to measure a child’s abilities in many things. If he passed, he was applauded all round. If he failed, he was excommunicated from the comity of nations in the family – no food, no new clothes and no new smiles from all. Now, examinations have taken on a new character. They are a way to measure the parents’ attention deficit disorders. Many parents, not having time to spend with their children in order to bring them up properly, over-compensate by lavishing on them such things as money, material items, admissions bought from the stores and new ways to cheat in examinations just to be sure they passed.

    Imagine the horror of this nation when the news reported sometime last year that a set of parents impersonated their children in an examination! Before then, all we heard was how parents would organise to have their children register in examination centres that were well below the radar so that they could pass. We knew how parents in a community would come together to take very good care of invigilators sent into their midst, being after all, strangers. But to actually sit for an exam in the place of a child beats my imagination hollow because I have been wondering honestly: what did they do for uniforms? How did they manage not to let their wrinkles stand in the way? I would really like to know because I have a few lines on my face I want to get rid of for reasons slightly related to theirs. I would like to go back to school to read the course of my dreams: Loxodontology, the study of elephants. I want to know how to make them dance the waltz, on one leg, on the beach, while I am lying on the sand, counting the palm leaves…

    Thanks to parents now, examination malpractice has gone way past the manageable level. I wrote here sometime ago that there are few things wrong with our educational system that curing the parents would not cure. I nearly got roasted, alive! But for the grace of God, I tell you, I would have been singed to my eyebrows. Really, parents have unfortunately forgotten their primary duties.

    The primary duties of parents to their children are clear. Instead of teaching their children to cheat, parents should be teaching RESPONSIBILITY. Instead of plying their children with earthly materials and rousing their appetites for the moon, parents should be teaching PROBITY. Instead of teaching self-indulgence, parents should be teaching SELF-KNOWLEDGE. Armed with these, a child would better appreciate the true issues of life. Then, more theories of relativity will ensue. Unfortunately, they cannot be picked up by the wayside; they must be taught by parents.

           Unless we end this new culture of indulgent parenthood, parents will be unwittingly signing their own extinction warrant. Putting power into the hands of children, weak heads that they are already, is a most dangerous thing. Take warning for I am telling you that very soon, children may decide that they no longer want or need your parenthood; they can parent themselves. Perhaps then, the children will do a much better job at parenting their parents even.

  • ‘Motivate teachers, commit them’

    ‘Motivate teachers, commit them’

    Want to win your teachers to work hard? Mrs Ohakawa Lilian, Proprietress Cardinal Nursery and Primary School, Idowu-Egba, Lagos State advises that proprietors to motivate them.

    She said interview with The Nation that by so doing, school heads will get the best out of their teachers.

    Mrs Ohakawa said this tested rule has improved the attitude of teachers to work and to the pupils in her school.

    “To make a teacher committed, the school management must motivate them by giving gifts. Make them feel they are cared for by listening to them and assisting them with personal problems. If a school can do this, the teachers will love the children, find ways to get more qualifications required to teach handle the children well and be nice to them.”

    She also called on teachers to on the other hand to always be ready to stay with the school through thick and thin and not just collect their salaries at the end of the first month and run off to another school.

    With motivation, Mrs Ohakawa said even pupils that are not fast learners can improve tremendously. She said acknowledging those of them in her school who achieve more in the space of one week works magic.

    “There is a purple board at the entrance of the school where we write the name of the child that had the highest improvement every week. We don’t just put names of the best children on the board. We put names of our not too smart children who improved that week. This encourages them and others to do well in their academics and other activities. We have different ways of teaching different children so that they won’t be left behind,” she said.

    Asked about transparency in grading and rewarding pupils in her school, Mrs Ohakawa said only those that deserve it are rewarded.

    She said: “We don’t do it here. We have children of about three honourables in this school but they have never come out first. We even call their parents and warn them when the children are not doing well academically. My children also passed through this school, and they didn’t come out first either.

    “In fact, my son was always being brought out to the assembly ground and flogged because he didn’t copy his notes and he is still being flogged where he is now for the same reason. The only time he won something was when he won the neatest boy and that was because I would wash andiron his uniforms to make sure he was always neat to school.”

     

  • Parents assured of quality teaching

    The management of JABU has assured parents of high learning experiences for their children in order to make them worthy successful citizens.

    Speaking at the parent’s forum of the university, the Prof Fajana stressed the need for parents to support the institution in its bid to help train the students to meet the rapidly changing future.

    Fajana said: “Our improvement plan that will take us to a guaranteed future is in place. Our values that underpin life in the school and prepare our young people for fulfillment in a challenging environment beyond school have been identified and articulated following extensive meetings and deliberations with various committees on the campus. Our teachers are committed lifelong learners who will continue to work hard to deliver the best for all our students.”

    He added that the institution is preparing to host the forthcoming Nigeria Private Universities Games (NPUGA) coming up in December.

     

  • School owner gives account to parents

    The first graduation and prize-giving of Satoif Montessori School, Itele-Ota, Ogun State offered the right avenue for stock-taking. Most importantly, it was for parents to give their assessment of the school.

    The proprietress, Mrs Toyin Adamolekun praised parents who entrusted their care and upbringing of their children with the school.

    Mrs Adamolekun said the school will continue to uphold the right values, and ncourage excellence and competition by rewarding those that distinguish themselves.

    “This school was founded because of the compassion we have for the young ones. Many kids roam the streets today without aim because they are neglected and uncared for. We develop the child academically, morally and socially so that they are useful to the society when they grow up. When you take a look at the facilities that we have and the fees we charge, it is obvious that we are here to serve the children. We are celebrating them today; we are rewarding those that distinguished themselves and also graduating the first set of pupils from the nursery to primary class,” she said.

    She enjoined parents to invest more in their childrenToyin .

    “If you give them (children) education without taking care of their moral, social and spiritual aspect they will lag behind. When parents neglect their wards, the children learn from the society and most often, they pick the wrong influence and become vagabonds.

    “So many schools are after the money but we are after service. We also created a parents forum, where we educate the parents on what they need to know about their children and encouraged them to dedicate time for them as it helps us to get the best from them,” she said.

    One of the parents who also doubled at the Mother of the Day, Mrs Adebolanle Adekunle, said: “Sincerely, we are happy and proud with the passion and commitment of the school in training our children. The environment is conducive with good teachers dedicated to the training of the children. Little wonder my daughter is always longing to be in the school even during the summer coaching. Another parent, Mrs Felicia Agbonigiator added that the school is living up to its name.

    “So far, Satoif is doing great, setting a standard in Montessori school. The best legacy parents can give their children is education and Satoif is helping us to achieve that,” she said.

    “The school ensures your child comes home with load of assignments so you do not have a choice but to go through their work. So the school is helping us to be engaged with our children. Parental care is important to complement what the school is doing,” she noted.

    The pupils also entertain their parents, guests and staff of the school with playlet, choreography and special rendition in French among others.

     

  • Prepare your kids for global challenges, parents told

    Prepare your kids for global challenges, parents told

    Parents have been told to prepare their children for global challenges instead of focusing on their immediate environments.

    The charge was given by Mr Tokunbo Taiwo of Express Discount Ltd at the first graduation /speech-making day of The Lord’s Kiddiz Schools, Ibafo, Ogun State.

    Speaking on the topic: 21st century parenting, challenges and coping techniques, Taiwo said it would be a regrettable mistake for any parent in the 21st century to allow his child to be pigeonholed in his development. He stressed that due to the globalised nature of today’s world, students must be seen as not competing with their peers in their immediate state, country and continent but the world at large. Therefore, they must be given a solid foundation.

    Speaking earlier, chairman of the occasion, and Executive Director, Vigtag Distributions Ltd, Matthew Agboola, expressed satisfaction at the pace at which the school has grown in such a short period since its establishment. He also praised the management and staff of the school for giving the children good orientation and solid foundation, morally and academically.

    The school’s proprietor, Mrs Oyinade Adekunle said: “It is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes. For any school to have an enduring legacy in this era, it must be dynamic, pro-active and respond promptly and adequately to the various critical issues peculiar to these young minds. At The Lord’s Kiddiz, we have an idea, a strong belief that every child is an embodiment of talents and a blessing to his /her generation. We believe that these children who are considered little today are great men and women tomorrow. So, we see beyond today; our interaction with these children is strictly, with tomorrow in mind,” she said.

    The ceremony featured presentation of gifts to pupils who excelled in their academics, dance drama by the pupils, choreography and special presentation by the school orchestra. In all, 18 pupils graduated from the Nursery cadre while 11 pupils graduated from the primary cadre.