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Tag: parents

  • ‘Govt gave Chibok girls’ parents N22.4m’

    ‘Govt gave Chibok girls’ parents N22.4m’

    Did money change hands when some parents of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls visited the Presidential Villa?

    The controversy raged on yesterday, with the leadership of the Kibaku Area Development Association (KADA), the group representing the Chibok people in Abuja have denied knowledge of a N100 million Presidential gift to the delegation that visited the President Goodluck Jonathan.

    Instead, they said that the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Special Duties, Prof. Dan Adebiyi, after the visit, visited the hotel in the night and told the girls, who escaped from the Boko Haram insurgents, that the Presidency had sent them a token of N100,000 each. Of the 122 parents who visited, he gave 61 N200,000 each and 51 N100,000 each. The remaining 10 parents were told that the money was finished, KADA said.

    KADA stated that it got no money and neither did Adebiyi, who co-ordinated the visit, tell them before sharing the money.

    They said that the sharing formula adopted by the Presidency has brought reproach to their community in the eyes of the public which has supported them since the abduction of the over 200 Government Secondary School, Chibok girls whose kidnapping on April 15 sparked a global outrage.

    At a press brief, organised by the leadership of KADA and a statement read by its spokesperson Dauda Iliya said the controversial cash was N1 million given to the parents by the member of the House of Reps representing Chibok/Damboa/Gwoza Federal Constituency, Hon. Biye Gumtha.

    His words: “It is noteworthy that our primary goal is the safe return of the girls that are still in captivity. It is sad that we are losing sight of this to the allegation of sharing money. We therefore want the world to understand that we, KADA stand by our earlier position and did not demand, receive or handle any finances throughout the process of the visit.

    “On the night of the 22nd July, 2014 at about midnight, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Special Duties who had been co-ordinating the visit of the side of the Presidency, visited the hotel and told the 51 escaped girls who came that the President sent them a token of N100,000 each and accordingly gave them the said sum without prior discussion with any KADA official or any other person in the community.

    “He equally gave the sum of N200,000 each to 61 parents out of the 122 parents that came on the visit. 51 parents were given N100,000 each on the basis that the money given to him was not enough to go round at N200,000. The remaining 10 parents were not given any amount of money.

    “As for the money given to some parents back home in Chibok, it was the sum of N1,000,000.00 given to them by the Hon. Member of the House of Reps. Representing Chibok/Damboa/Gwoza Federal Constituency, which is the source of the alleged N7,000.00 given to parents in Chibok that were not part of the visit.

    “While we acknowledge that any well intended support for our suffering population which has lost its means of livelihood since the events of April 14 and subsequent attacks could be welcome, however the approach that the Presidency adopted has brought reproach and dishonour to our community in the eyes of the public that has supported us since the abduction of our daughters.

    “We hereby state categorically that no amount of money whatsoever was given to KADA leadership to share among the parents and escaped girls or for whatsoever reason and therefore the allegation is completely baseless, false and malicious.

    “We clearly spelt out to the Presidency through the office of the Chief of Staff that we shall not be involved with any financial transaction whatsoever, including payment of transportation from Chibok to Yola, flight by air from Yola to Abuja, hotel accommodation and feeding in Abuja, and intra-city transportation while in Abuja.

    “When the Presidency requested us to invite parents and escaped Chibok girls against 22nd July, 2014, we accepted the responsibility on the condition that we shall facilitate by way of contacting and mobilizing the parents and escaped girls thereby playing the sole role of facilitators.”

  • Jonathan versus Chibok girls’ parents

    President Goodluck Jonathan last week missed an opportunity to rub minds with some parents of the over 200 secondary schoolgirls abducted in Chibok, Borno State.

    Worried that the girls’ disappearance was causing great pain and psychological trauma to their parents, the Pakistani Girl-Child Education Campaigner, Malala Yousafzai, who met with President Jonathan last week Monday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja insisted that the President should see the parents.

    But the meeting could not hold on Tuesday as the parents did not turn up for the 4.p.m. fixture. They  were said to have left Abuja in the early hours of the day for Chibok, Borno State.

    Earlier on May 4, a similar meeting convened by First Lady on the abducction saga was fruitless, as many interested parties also failed to honour it. The development  twice drew tears from Mrs Jonathan.

    But it is not clear whether the President was also moved to that point as journalists were not opportuned to be where the news was broken to the President that the Chibok girls’ parents were shunning the meeting. Only his handlers would really know his immediate reaction.

    The President, however, at every given opportunity had claimed that the abduction of the girls is causing him so much pain as he is also a parent.

    Some Nigerians have however pointed out that the President did not need a Malala or needed to wait for three months after the abduction before making moves to see the parents of the abducted girls.

    Reliable sources in the Presidency had claimed that the President’s moves in the past to see the parents were thwarted.

    Speaking with State House correspondents on last Tuesday’s botched meeting, the Senior Special Assistant to the President of Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe blamed the BringBackOurGirls and the opposition for the development.

    He said: “The meeting was scheduled for 4p.m today at the instance of the request that was made by Malala and the President graciously agreed within 24 hours to meet with them but unfortunately the BringBackOur Girls leadership prevailed on the parents of the girls, stopped them from coming therefore what happened was that they actually shunned the meeting with Mr. President because the foreign media and everybody was waiting for this meeting and since they were no longer coming and they made it expressly clear that they were no longer coming, infact that the girls were just few minutes away from Chibok, the meeting was aborted.”

    “It was the leadership of BringBackOurGirls that brought them to Abuja and that gives them some leverage, they accommodated them, it is obvious now that the BringBackOurGirls in Nigeria are interested in showmanship not genuinely concerned with the plight of the children and that of their parents.”

    Continuing, he said: “That is was has become clinically clear by this action because if the parents of the girls travelled so much from Chibok to get to Abuja, why will it be impossible for them to meet with the President who has graciously agreed to give an appointment within less than 24 hours to meet with them.”

    “We are just coming from the President and he has authorized that an official letter be written to the parents inviting them to formally to come and meet him and it is going to be sometime next week.” He said

    But the #BringBackOurGirls Coalition, which had always insisted that the Federal Government was not doing enough to rescue the girls, last week denied aborting the Jonathan, parents’ meeting.

    In a statement jointly signed by former Minister of Education and coordinator of the group, Oby Ezekwesili, and Hadiza Usman, the group said it was merely informed about the decision of the parents and was not in attendance when the invitation to the Presidential meeting was extended to the Chibok parents.

    The group expressed surprise at what it called “the escalation of the pattern of the campaign of calumny by the government officials on our citizens’ movement, advocating for the rescue of the abducted 219 schoolgirls from Chibok Secondary School, 93 days ago.”

    While maintaining that the parents did not request to see the President, Spokesperson of the Abuja Chibok Community, Dauda Iliya last week said that they only received the invitation from the Presidency after the parents had left Abuja for Chibok.

    He said: “These parents and escaped girls did not come to Abuja at the instance of government or its representatives for a meeting with Mr. President but on the full understanding that they were coming to meet with Malala.”

    “In the course of their interactions with Malala, neither the parents nor escaped girls asked for a meeting with the President or any government functionary, rather the narrative back home was to persistently ask why the President has not visited them in Chibok since the abduction. It is obvious that 12 fathers and 5 girls only constitute about 2% of the parents of the abducted girls and the 57 girls that escaped.” He said

    While the ongoing accusations and counter-accusations would immediately stop as soon as the girls are safely rescued, it is hoped that the next meeting with the parents billed for this week will actually hold and go a long way to ameliorate the problems that followed the abduction.

     

  • Chibok girls’ parents: we never requested to visit Aso Villa

    Chibok girls’ parents: we never requested to visit Aso Villa

    Representatives of the Chibok community in Abuja have said the 12 fathers and five girls who spoke with Pakistani girl-child education activist Malala Yousafzai never requested to meet with President Goodluck Jonathan or any government official.

    The Borno State indigenes said they only received the invitation to meet with the President yesterday after the girls and the parents had returned to Chibok.

    The parents were said to have been invited through a letter addressed to the Chairman of the Chibok community in Abuja, signed by the Chief of Staff to the President.

    The community described as “unfounded” the Presidency’s accusation that the #BringBackOurGirls campaigners discouraged the parents from meeting with the President.

    A statement yesterday in Abuja by the Abuja Chibok Community spokesman Dauda Iliya, said: “These parents and escaped girls did not come to Abuja at the instance of government or its representatives for a meeting with Mr. President but on the full understanding that they were coming to meet with Malala, an advocate of girl-child education and, most importantly, one who has suffered a similar fate as their daughters.

    “In the course of their interactions with Malala, neither the parents nor the escaped girls asked for a meeting with the President or any government functionary. Rather, the narrative back home was to persistently ask why the President had not visited them in Chibok since the abduction.

    “It is obvious that 12 fathers and five girls only constitute about two per cent of the parents of the abducted schoolgirls and the 57 girls that escaped. Therefore, the parents decided on their own to review the announced visit, which they first heard of, like every other person, during Malala’s speech.

    “This resulted in their decision to revert to other family members to incorporate every stakeholder on the matter as well as avoid discord and suspicion on the change of plans from the original mission to Abuja. They reached out to the Malala team and, through them, to the Presidency, to request for a new date for an expanded and more representative meeting …to meet with the President.

    “Their request is also in recognition of the huge opportunity of a meeting with the President for the first time, after over 90 days of the tragic abduction.

    “…The community, therefore, required better consultations, structure and formality, as against an instant advocacy request.

    “It is totally misleading, unjust and without foundation to hold the citizens’ platform #BringBackOurGirls or any individual responsible for the decision made by the 12 parents and our community. We, therefore, take full responsibility for our decision and welcome the formal invitation by the President as a follow-up to the Malala’s visit which we received this morning.”

  • ‘My First Class is to appreciate my parents’

    Joy Onyemaechi was the best graduating student of the Delta State University (DELSU) in Abraka during the 2012 and 2013 academic session. She is the first student to bag a First Class in the Department of Economics with a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.67. She told PHILIP OKORODUDU (Graduating student of Electrical, Electronics and Computer Engineering) how she achieved the feat.

    How do you feel becoming the valedictorian?

    The feeling is overwhelming and unexplainable because it really beats my imaginations. I was aware I had the best Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) in my faculty but I was surprised when I was called out as the overall best graduating student for two sets. I give all the glory to God.

    Did you have the dream to graduate with a First Class when you were admitted?

    Yes. I made a promise after I left secondary school that I would graduate from the university with a result that would impress my parents. Also because no students had graduated with a First Class in my department, I told myself I would be the first and God helped me to achieve this despite challenges and discouragement from different quarters.

    Tell us about how you spent your day as a student

    I wake up early whether I have classes or not and I always started my day with prayers. After bath, I would go to class if there was lecture or library if I had none. By 3pm, I would be back to have my lunch and then went to church. After having my dinner, I went to bed so that I would be able to wake up in midnight to read.

    What drove you to work hard in achieving your desire?

    It was the thought of my parents’ efforts to send us to school. They worked hard so that I could go to the university and I vowed to do something that would make them proud that they did not work in vain. Each time I took my result home, the joy they expressed made me to be more determined and focus.

    What is the secret of your success?

    It is God and of course hard work. Without the glory of God, my hard work would not have been able to achieve anything.

    What is aspiration?

    After my Master’s degree and PhD, I want to be a top-rated development economist whose idea would contribute to the economic wellbeing of Nigeria. I also like to be a teacher in church, teaching word of God to the youth.

    What were the challenges you faced as a student?

    I had a challenge to maintain not just a good CGPA but to also remain in First Class. It is very easy to get to the top but it is challenging staying at the top. And in a school like DELSU, where every course from 100-Level to final year counts, one cannot afford to be slack because a poor score can destroy result forever. I prayed and worked hard to surpass the challenge.

    How would you describe your social life?

    I am not a social person, even as an undergraduate. I barely had time for mundane things except my studies.

    What is your advice to students?

    They must hold on to God because He never fails. They must allow God to take the lead in whatever they do, He would guide them aright and make them achieve their aims. Also there should be balance between academic, social and spiritual life. One should not outweigh the other. They must make friends with those who would inspire them towards achieving their goals and not those who would drag them backward. Students must believe in their ability and give in their best in anything. Even if it does not work out the way we want, there would never be regrets knowing that we have done our best.

  • Parents relive the pains of girls’ abduction

    Parents relive the pains of girls’ abduction

    He ventures into the forest looking for his daughters, armed with bow and arrow in case the terrorists surprise him.

    The odds are stacked against him. No one has found the 276 girls abducted from their school last month by the terror group Boko Haram.

    But then again, no one’s really been looking, the father says.

    The father’s voice shakes as he recalls the night his two daughters were snatched from their dormitory at an all-girls school in Nigeria.

    It began with an explosion so loud that it shook buildings in the northern village of Chibok, waking the girls’ family. That was quickly followed by the sound of gunfire echoing into the dark night.

    By the time father made it to the Government Girls Secondary School, the militants had already opened fire on security guards and set buildings on fire.

    Unarmed, there was nothing the father could do but watch … and wait.

    When I went into the school compound, nobody will ever stand it,” said the father, who is not being identified for fear of reprisals from attackers or the government.

    “You will see their dresses cut out all over. And the hostel and dormitory, everything was bombed into ashes. So this man told us they have gone with our daughters. We couldn’t believe him.”

    Armed members of Boko Haram attacked the school on April 14, overpowering the guards and herding the girls onto waiting trucks, according to accounts of that night.

    The trucks disappeared with the girls into the dense forest bordering Cameroon, a stronghold for the terror group whose name translates to “Western education is sin” in the local Hausa language.

    That’s where the story gets hazy.

    There are questions about just how many girls were taken, with varying reports putting that number between 230 to 276, depending on who is talking.

    In the days after the attack, the military said all the girls had been released or rescued. But after the girls’ families began asking where their daughters were, the military retracted the statement.

    This much the father knows for sure: His two daughters are among those still in captivity after almost a month.

    Nigerian officials have defended their response and said they are searching.

    “We’ve done a lot — but we are not talking about it,” presidential spokesman Doyin Okupe said. “We’re not Americans. We’re not showing people, you know, but it does not mean that we are not doing something.”

    But the father scoffed at the government’s response.

    “We have never seen any military man there,” he said.

    “Had it been military men who went into the bush to rescue our daughters, we would have seen them.”

    ‘We can’t let this be the new normal’

    Boko Haram, on the other hand, is entrenched in the region.

    The father believes that either supporters or members of Boko Haram live in his village.

    They know his family, the father says. They know about his daughters.

    The family is so afraid, he says, that they have fled their home and taken to sleeping in the bush.

    “Life is very dangerous in Chibok right now. Since on 14th of April, to date, we don’t sleep at home,” the father said.

    They’re not alone. The father said that starting around 5 or 6 o’clock in the evening, “people will disappear into the bush because there is no security.”

    “We sleep in the bush with all of our little ones,” he said.

    Boko Haram is a ruthless, powerful force.

    The group says its goal is to impose stricter enforcement of Sharia law across Africa’s most populous nation, which is split between a majority Muslim north and a mostly Christian south.

    Under its version of Sharia law, women should be at home raising children and looking after their husbands, not at school learning to read and write.

    A video that surfaced this week showed a man claiming to be the group’s leader saying he will sell the hundreds kidnapped girls.

    “I abducted your girls. I will sell them in the market, by Allah,” said a man claiming to be Abubakar Shekau. “There is a market for selling humans. Allah says I should sell. He commands me to sell. I will sell women. I sell women.”

    The mother of the two girls had little response, just tears.

    “Most of the women, we mothers, we started crying because had no one to help us,” she said. “Our daughters (have) been adopted or captured as slaves. Now … we cannot even eat.”

    This isn’t the parents’ first experience with Boko Haram. They adopted one of their two daughters after her parents were killed by the terrorist group.

    The mother begs for the girls’ freedom, away from a lifetime of abuse and slavery.

    “They don’t know, probably one of them are born a president or doctor or pastor or a lawyer who will be helpful to the country,” she said. “Why would they molest these little ones? Please … release them.”

  • Boko Haram: Parents withdraw children from Yobe schools

    Boko Haram: Parents withdraw children from Yobe schools

    Every parent wants his child to be educated. But where the school becomes a killing field, what would parents do? This is the dilemma in which parents in Yobe State schools now find themselves. Many are withdrawing their children from school because of Boko Haram attacks in which hundreds of pupils have been killed. JOEL DUKU (Damaturu) reports

    Even before the Federal Government shut some unity schools in Yobe and other Northeastern states, parents had been withdrawing their children from those schools for safety reasons. Many pupils have become targets of the Islamic sect, Boko Haram.

    No fewer than 136 are feared to have been killed so far.

    On February 25, the sect killed no fewer than 59 pupils when it attacked the Federal Government College (FGC) at Buni Yadi. Scores are still missing. Hunters have been hired to comb the bushes near the school for them. Schools in Borno State have also suffered similar attacks, with scores of pupils also killed.

    The Yobe state government and the Joint Task Force (JTF) had assured parents of their children’s safety before the Buni Yadi attack. Some parents took solace in the government’s assurance and left their children in school. Some withdrew theirs following the fate of other children in other schools.

    Many top government officials are said to have relocated their children to Kano, Abuja, Kaduna and big cities to continue their education. children of low income earners are said to be at the mercy of the because of lack of funds.

    Adamu (not real name), the father of one of the surviving pupils of the FGC, Buni Yadi attack appears worried. He told our reporter that as long as there is no end to “these senseless killings”, he will never compromise his son’s future.

    “I must tell you that Allah is our only hope for these senseless killings. I am confused and devastated but I cannot compromise the future of my son for fear. He must go to school,” Adamu assured.

    Parents, who moved their children, said they acted on instinct. Hauwa, a single mother, said she withdrew her two daughters from FGC, Buni Yadi after the College of Agriculture in the same area was hit by Boko Haram in December.

    “As if I knew, I was uncomfortable since the attack on the College of Agriculture, Gujba because my two daughters were in FGC, Buni Yadi which is very close to that place. I had to borrow money to transfer them to another school in Jigawa State. Look at what has happened now. May Allah save us from this problem,” Hauwa said.

    Idris Abubakar, a civil servant, relived the pains of living without his children whom he relocated to Abuja.

    “I had to relocate my children to Masaka close to Abuja for them to get better education. But it has not been easy managing a family away from my location. I travel often to see them. My only consolation is that I will soon retire from the Yobe State Civil Service. So, I will move and connect permanently with my family,” he said.

    Since the Boko Haram attacks started, Government Secondary School (GSS), Damaturu, Government Secondary School, Mamudo in Potiskum, College of Agriculture Gujba and FGC, Buni Yadi have been hit.

    The attacks are impeding government’s efforts to turn things round in the educationally disadvantaged state.

    Aishatu and her husband are civil servants in the state; but she is against parents withdrawing their children from school. According to her, any reasonable parents must ensure that his or her child gets education regardless of the circumstances.

    “For those of us that work and live in this place, we have no choice but to put our children in school. My problem is not even Boko Haram but there are no good schools around for the children to get good and qualitative education.

    “I feel sorry for the state government because they are trying a lot but the crisis keeps dragging them backward. I am aware that many schools were burnt and government has to spend more money to rebuild these schools.

    “One area that is lacking on the part of government is to sustain an awareness campaign among the citizenry on the need for parents not to give up on education. Without proper education, there will be more crises in future,” Aishatu said.

    The FGC Buni Yadi attack made a woman popularly known as Mama Comfort to almost change her mind about her only daughter’s education. It took the school authority to convince her not to take the girl home.

    Mama Comfort told our reporter that she and other parents took the same decision that fateful day.

    “Many of us went there to remove our children, from that school. The principal of the a school assured us that nothing will happen to our children, but for me, I had made up my mind that I was not leaving without my only daughter. Other people left but I refused to. After several pleas from the principal and my refusal to shift ground, he had to go and call soldiers who came and chase me out of the school”, Mama Comfort told our reporter.

    The woman noted that the school has no fence; hence her fears on the security of the school.

    “I was surprised that the back of the school is empty without fence, you only see fence by the main road but the back of the school is empty, not even a wire to restrict movement.”

    “It is better for me to keep her (daughter) safe and alive than to die. Let her stay with me here. When I get money, I will find another school for her outside Yobe,” Mama Comfort said.

    Msheliza (not real name) is a lecturer at the Federal Polytechnic in Damaturu. He has relocated his three children to another school in Jos, the Plateau State capital.

    “Since 2012, the attacks on Damaturu by Boko Haram insurgents have had a serious effect on student enrollment.

    “Whenever there was an attack in those days, children would stay out of schools for days, sometimes weeks so I decided to take my children to Jos where education and the environment are better.”

    “Take it or leave it, the quality of education in Yobe has become poorer because of these attacks. Student enrollment has dropped and the apathy for learning is on the increase. The government of Yobe State may be doing its best but if you are reconstructing schools that are burnt by the insurgents and there are no pupils in the schools then what are you achieving? Msheliza asked.

    To keep Boko Haram at bay, many private schools in Yobe are using private guards.

    A head teacher in a private school said the measures became necessary to forestall attacks.

    “Though we cannot stop these attacks but we need to put up measure that can reduce the impact in case we have to contend with one”, he said.

    Most private school owners were reluctant to divulge their security arrangements.”

    “It will amount to no sense if I tell you the security measures we have in this school. That would further weaken our strategies. I am sorry”, a head teacher in a private school told our reporter.

    Another teacher, who pleaded anonymity said: “Let me tell you, the security situation in this region has made everybody alert and security conscious. Most of our school children are aware that things are not the same in this area. Some of the parents are seriously doing the orientation at home. But as a school, we always remind our students during assembly to be vigilant and careful.

    “As for the little ones, we normally tell them not to collect gifts or talk to any stranger but to report to their teacher anybody that insists on something from them, or better still run away”, the teacher said.

    Our reporter, who went round Damaturu, the state capital, noticed that almost all the private schools now have fortified gates.

    Governor Ibrahim Gaidam has condemned the killing of pupils. He said his administration would not be deterred from providing quality education to all.

    “I must say that the act of these insurgents is unfortunate, devastating and highly barbaric; but their attitude will not stop us from fulfilling our campaign promises to the people of Yobe State, Insha Allah. We will continue to provide quality education to our children, free medical treatment to pregnant women and children under five years, poverty alleviation, good water, and infrastructural transformation of the state.

    “I am sad that the resources we would have used to provide other infrastructure are now being channelled to the reconstruction of the schools. But we have to do it for the sake of the future of our children,” Gaidam said.

    As at June, statistics from Yobe State Ministry of Education indicated that over 209 schools were destroyed by the insurgents. the state requires over N2.5 billion to rebuild them. The figures may have increased by now, with the insurgents recurring attacks.

    To win back parents’ confidence and restore hope in the education sector, the government has rebuilt over 300 burnt classrooms.

    The government has also begun the construction of perimeter fencing around the schools. A visit to GSS, Damaturu, showed an overhaul of dilapidated infrastructure. The school has also been fenced round. The fencing of the College of Agriculture, Gujba, is ongoing, while that of GSS, Mamudo, has been completed.

     

    ‘Don’t withdraw your children from school’

    Yobe State Commissioner for Education Alhaji Mohammed Alamin, in this interview with DUKU JOEL speaks on the fortune the government is spending on infrastructure and security in public schools. He is calling on parents not to withdraw their children to schools outside the state.

    Until the insurgents redirected attacks on schools in the state, the education sector was on the priority list of government. What is government doing to improve security in schools?

    Initially, we thought their (Boko Haram) attacks will not be carried to this magnitude; but as soon as they started showing interest that they wanted to destroy some of our schools, we made efforts in collaboration with security agencies to provide security round our schools. That was after the Damaturu and Mamudo attacks. Even the Defence Headquarters sent senior officers to assess the situation, we told them that we needed soldiers to be around our schools. They said they didn’t have such manpower for all schools. They only promised that their men would patrol the schools. To be fair to them, they have been providing the security and by the grace of God, we stayed for a few months without any attack on our schools after the College of Agriculture attack in Gujba. All of a sudden, the unfortunate incident at FGC Buni Yadi happened again. This one too is very devastating, pathetic, callous and in fact inhuman because it is the same manner and way they killed these students in the previous attacks that they still did; gathering them and killing about 29 of them.

    Tell us about efforts geared towards the schools’ reconstruction

    Since the Damaturu, Mamudo and the College of Agric incidents, the Yobe State government has been trying to rebuild these schools. Despite our challenges, you will realise that education still tops our priority as a state. We have rebuilt and reconstructed the entire schools. If you go to these schools, you will realise that in addition to those structures provided, we have also fenced the schools round. Now we have provided some form of security to the students and we have assured parents that the students would be secured in these schools. All these are efforts being made by the Yobe State Government that in spite of the challenges, we will not relent in our efforts to providing an enabling environment for our teachers and students to learn.

    Have you received assistance or an intervention fund from the Federal Government for the rebuilding of these schools?

    In terms of schools, we have not received any intervention from anybody. I was made to understand that the Federal Government granted about N150million or so to the state government. But even that amount is nothing compared to the destruction made by these mindless insurgents and the repairs we have undertaken.

    How much did it cost you to rebuild the schools?

    The GDSS Damaturu alone cost us overN339million, GSSS Mamudo cost us about N160million, and just the fencing of College of Agric is about N120million. What I have told you is excluding all the primary schools being destroyed in the state and the equipment by the insurgents across the state. As far as relief or assistance is concerned, we have not received anything from anybody for the reconstruction or rebuilding of these schools. Not that I know of.

    To what extent have you been able to rebuild confidence in parents with respect to security?

    Yes, fencing is one of the confidence we are providing both for the parents and the students.Before, GDSS Damaturu was very porous and you can come in from any direction. But now, we have fenced the school and very soon we will provide security wires on top of the fence to give the students and even parents some confidence that the government is providing security. At least, there is only one entrance to the school because the land mass, which was before free, has been fenced. By the time we provide the security wire, nobody can climb the wall. We have done the same thing at Mamudo and the College of Agric and, eventually, all the schools in the state would be provided with this security measure for the pupils to, at least, have some level of security in all schools across the state.

    There is panic among parents as many are withdrawing their children from schools across the state after the Buni Yadi attack. What is your advice to them?

    I would like to assure them that our children would be safe in all our schools. The Buni Yadi incident is unfortunate. According to the information reaching us, it occurred when they withdrew security agents posted to the school. I learnt they (government) withdrew security in certain places and took them where they would be needed them most. By so doing, they weakened the security around the school. If the re-enforcement were at Buni Yadi, I am sure this unfortunate killing wouldn’t have occurred because the soldiers’ base is less that 2km from the school. The entire Federal Government College was burnt. No structure – a classroom, dormitory, laboratory, staff quarters, library – was left. One needs to see the extent of the destruction to appreciate what has been done in that school by the insurgents. No structure is standing. There are over 40 houses for the staff alone, not to talk of the classrooms – all were burnt. On the final note, there is no sense for parents to withdraw their kids from schools.

    What is the state approach to education now in view of the development?

    Education still remains a priority for Yobe State government. Despite the challenges, we will continue to provide education to our citizens. If we dare say we cannot provide, that is what the insurgents want. You know they say, Boko Haram traslates to ‘education is sin’. So, we will not do that. Rather, we will continue to rebuild, reconstruct, and provide all that is needed for our children to be educated. That knowledge we must not fail to give to our children.

     

  • Peaceful students, trouble-shooting parents

    Peaceful students, trouble-shooting parents

    With the furore that accompanied the decision of students of Baptist High School, Iwo, to wear different, albeit unapproved school uniform(s) to school recently, reflecting their religious beliefs, one would have thought that the school and indeed the entire community would be on fire.

    But on February 10, Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola chose to visit and douse the tension, everywhere and everything were calm. The semi urban town was as usual quiet, so also was the secondary school that grabbed the headlines in the media recently for the wrong reason.

    By 7:45 a.m. when The Nation arrived at the sprawling premises of one of the most popular schools in Southwest, most of the teachers were already at work but the majority gathered in twos and threes, silently discussing the expected event of the day.

    Wearing curious looks, the teachers and the five principals in the school attempted to carry out the instruction of the Tutor-General/Permanent Secretary for the area (Osun West), Mr Adisa Olabamiji, to convene a single general assembly for all the students in the school. They were expecting the governor who pledged to visit the school for a peace meeting with all stakeholders in the crisis to address the general assembly.

    A total of 92 students had worn unapproved uniforms to school the week before to create chaos and attract the attention of the world to the uniform crisis rocking the ongoing reform in the secondary education system. While some wore church choir robes, some came to school in traditional egungun (masquerade) costume, stirring tension and controversy on the propriety of the school uniform policy of the state.

    But on this Monday morning, the students were in their normal joyous mood as they clutched to each other, trooping into the compound in large number. Unlike their teachers, the presence of some adults who converged inside the school compound near the gate, did not change the students’ mood. They were friends, colleagues and manifested no sign of segregation.

    This was conveyed in the way non-Muslim students clutched to their hijab-wearing Muslim friends and the happiness expressed in the way they exchanged banters as they walked into the compound. Obviously, to them, there was neither threat nor trouble. Peace could be read on their faces while they bubbled in friendship spirit. To the students, all was fine!

    They all appeared in the approved uniform distributed to them by the state government. With common chocolate brown trousers, skirt, shorts or pinafore as appropriate, the students donned yellow or gold colour top to match, with a beret to differentiate the schools. Female Muslims students, however, wore hijab as a mark of their religious belief.

    After a short period of foot-dragging, the bell for assembly rang at exactly 8:10 a.m. but the students did not gather quickly. It took them another 10 minutes before they responded to the call for assembly. At that time, suspicion was filling the air on the turn which the planned event would take as the crowd of adults at the gate was swelling.

    Then, the Tutor-General addressed the assembly. He told them that the state government meant well with the new policy, adding that the mega-school being constructed would accommodate most of the high school students in the area. He highlighted some of the specific aspects of the policy aimed at making the students better adults in the future. Mr. Olabamiji urged them to show understanding with the government and maximise the opportunities being offered them.

     

    The school

     

    Baptist High School, Iwo was established in 1955 by the Nigerian Baptist Convention. It was a first-class secondary school with full boarding facilities. Located in the then serene Adeeke area of Iwo but development later expanded the town to the location.

    It has produced several renowned personalities and carries the name of the Baptist church high. In spite of the take-over of all mission schools by the government in 1976, members of the church and the alumni still see Baptist High School, Iwo as a missionary school of sort.

     

    Build up to the event

     

    As the assembly was going on, the crowd of locals made up of parents and government officials began to grow steadily. At 12:27 pm, the helicopter conveying the governor appeared on he sky an appearance that threw the students into a frenzy of jubilation. They screamed and jumped as they moved towards the direction where the chopper was to land. They criss-crossed the lines they had formed to usher him into the open field, venue of the meeting, flouting directive of security agents. But they were not punished. It was emotional!

    A minute later, the green helicopter marked 5N BLI, touched ground. The ecstasy, particularly among the students and locals was palpable. They pressed towards the governor as they screamed: “Ogbeni, Ogbeni,” waving their hands.

    Aregbesola did not disappoint them. He also waved as soon as he became visible through the helicopter’s window in his school uniform. With a broad smile, he alighted from the copter and was led by security agents towards the waiting crowd. The governor ignored the thick dust generated from the preponderance of legs marching the graded piece of land as he trudged into the thick crowd. They massed him in ecstasy. It was a rousing welcome at its best!

    Then, the meeting commenced. It was an outpouring of emotion.

    After the opening prayer by representatives of the Christian, Muslim and traditional worshippers communities, the Secretary, Iwo Local Government, Alhaji Kamardeen Alao, welcomed the governor and members of his cabinet.

    Hailing Aregbesola for the systematic way he handled the crisis, he recalled that the deputy governor, Mrs Titilayo Laoye-Tomori and the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Moshood Adeoti, had visited the town to discuss with warring religious leaders but that it was good that the governor eventually came.

    He prayed for peace to continue to reign in the town and lauded the Aregbesola administration for the production of the learning tablet dubbed “Opon Imo.”

    Giving the reasons for the meeting, the Tutor-General, Mr Olabamiji, explained that the parley was to find a lasting solution to the crisis and to distribute Opon Imo to the students. He reiterated the need for peace to reign in schools and to support the Aregbesola administration.

    According to him, “our governor observed that poor results have been emanating from our schools. He was not happy. That is the reason he has been introducing several reforms in the education sector including appointing a principal as a Permanent Secretary (PS). It has never happened in the history of this state. With the many reforms, teachers are now working harder because they are happier and students are doing better in public examinations.

    “Eight days ago, trouble started in this school but we thanked God that our intervention changed things. We have held several peace meetings including the one called by governor last week. This is the biggest peace meeting.

    “This government believes that we are all one and religion should not tear us apart. Hence, he brought the government here to have a face-to-face meeting with stakeholders. Christians were not represented at the Osogbo meeting, hence, Aregbesola decided to come down here.”

    The PS disclosed that the school has a total of 2,123 students including 479 students in Senior Secondary School 3 (SS3).

    The Deputy Governor who also doubles as the Commissioner for Education, Laoye-Tomori explained that the gathering was not a political meeting but that people should not be surprised to see the crowd because Aregbesola has a magnetic pull.

    Addressing the crisis, she said: “The governor watched how some students came to school in unconventional uniform. But as a father to all, he directed that none of them should be punished. He has invited their parents and had a successful meeting with them on Friday. His coming (here today) is to broke permanent peace. Both the students and the parents are here.

    “For us in the Osun State, the importance we attach to education makes us put education in the front burner. We are determined to produce true leaders of tomorrow. That is why we provide appropriate tools and facilities that enhance learning. We always work for peace in our schools and everywhere in Osun. (And) in furtherance of the technology-based education, the governor will distribute Opon Imo to our students here today.”

    The Deputy-Governor sued for peace and love among students. “Let parents also lead in showing love,” she said.

    As the programme progressed, religious leaders were called upon to present their positions on the issue. First to speak was the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Iwo, Rev. Dr. Bayo Ademuyiwa.

    Ademuyiwa said, the Christian community, most of who are the parents were pained by the troubles emanating in the school system. Emphasising that the troubles are unnecessary, he said Christians would continue to reject wearing of unconventional uniform to school.

    “We are pained that unnecessary issues are troubling our education. CAN says ‘No’ to wearing of unconventional uniform. Our governor sees equity. He is not partial. We think the governor should make a statement on this. Christian children began to wear unconventional uniforms when they realised that their counterparts in other religions wore it without being punished.

    “At the meeting with the governor, religious leaders agreed that no child should wear unconventional uniform. Our children didn’t wear it today because we prevailed on them while Muslims wore theirs.

    “Christians want equity. Please define conventional uniform for all of us,” he said.

    He, however, charged students to concentrate on their studies, and not the uniform issue.

    In their presentation, spokesman for the Muslim community, Sheik Idris Mogaji, pointed out that Western education experienced delayed growth in Iwo in the early times because Muslims discovered that many of their children that went to school abandoned the religion for Christianity. “We are not interested in using force. We are just following the Qur’an. We support the government and its activities,” he said. He also alleged that Muslims are always criticised for sticking to the precepts of the Qur’an.

    In their presentation, spokesperson of the traditionalists Miss Ifawole Anifalaje, simply declared: “We are for peace and traditional religion does not support violence.” She thereafter pronounced a lengthy blessing on the gathering and the entire state.

    The representative of the Oluwo-in-Council, Chief Akeem Oyebimpe Bello, sued for peace among all stakeholders. He admonished students to concentrate on their studies and reject offer to be used as cannon fodders.

    He said: “Children, pay more attention to your studies than any other thing. The future belongs to you and education is what will help you to fulfill your dreams in life. This generation of your parents would soon grow old. This problem is age-long in Iwo. It was muffled by previous governors. We have held meetings with leaders of the two religions and we believe this administration will resolve it once and for all.”

    SS3 students in the school were given the Opon Imo by the Deputy Governor. She disclosed that government was working towards distributing 150,000 copies of the tablet across the state.

    Two of their representatives, Samuel Aremu and Mutiyat Bashir, expressed gratitude to the governor for the tablets. They also appealed to parents to allow them concentrate on their studies by shunning any action that is capable of causing chaos in the schools.

    Samuel said: “We students have no problem among ourselves. Those misbehaving are being sponsored by their parents. Parents, let peace reign.”

    “We are not happy about this chaos. We beg our parents to let peace reign. We can’t concentrate on our studies in an atmosphere of chaos. Government, please do something about it,” Bashir said.

    Addressing the crowd, Aregbesola, after singing three Yoruba songs that emphasised the importance of education, told the audience that he attended school in a local community but thanked God for taking him to his current position.

    “I came to address you children, especially. This is the only platform for you to become great in life. You can be great if you pay attention to your studies and work hard. That is why we take education seriously. No state takes education as seriously as the Osun State. I want to advise you to face your studies. Your future is important to us. Let our investments on you show.

    “When you see us running up and down, it is because we want you to have a great future. Don’t let such ugly incident recur. Wise people don’t show protest in a way that will destroy the society. When they push you, don’t push yourselves.

    “For efficiency, we divided school management into three with three Tutors-General as heads. We have also employed over 10,000 teachers, 58 per cent of the number of teachers we inherited. We give free food and fruits, all with a view to improving the quality of education in the state. We can only be proud to see you succeed. Don’t let us regret what we are doing. We are building excellent schools. It is all because of you and future generations. We have paid N400 million for the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) examination this year. We spent N850 million yearly to remove the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) levy. This government has good plan for you.”

    The governor disclosed that a section of the society went to court over the matter because the government is neutral. He said the government could not go further on the issue pending the determination of the case. But he emphasised; “Those inciting people against us will fail.”

    Aregbesola declared: “I have decided to visit you today after I heard about a little misunderstanding and consequent bad behaviour by a very tiny number among you, which does not by any stretch of the imagination approximate the spirit of amity and scholarship in this school and even the community. The manner in which you have all received me has put a lie to the antics of mischief makers, who made futile bid to impress upon the whole world that this school and indeed Iwo town are on the verge of civil war.

    “On the contrary, what I have seen are happy students in gay mood willing to project the Omoluabi ethos and looking to the future with great hope. This indeed is our desire for you. Our philosophy of education is the creation of the total man, a man who is physically, intellectually, morally and spiritually equipped to contribute to societal development. This is a man who views his acquisition and life attainment as instruments in the service of society and improvement of fellow citizens. This new person stands confident and radiates love to fellow human beings and is never threatened by other people who are different from him or her in some respects.

    “Education is the means by which this new man is produced. Our interest in education even goes further. The world is now a rapidly changing place. Knowledge has become the basis of power and no longer the old notions of large territory, large army, large human population and large deposits of material resources.

    “The most powerful nations are those that know how to use resources and trade in knowledge. Our world is now controlled by those who know technology and not those who have it. It means in essence that a nation that knows how to manufacture cars, tractors and nuclear weapons is superior to those who merely have the money to buy them. The former is the master while the later is a mere servant.

    As we are, we are already marginalised in that world and our pie will further shrink in the future if we do not prepare our youth to compete favourably in that imminent future. We are therefore preparing those who will be political leaders, scientists, clergies, diplomats, inventors, captains of industries and leaders in all respects in the next 20 years, at least.”

     

    Education: before and now

     

    The governor rolled out data on steps taken and policies introduced so far to address the poor state of education. He enjoined all stakeholders to support the efforts aimed at putting the state on the world map, particularly in the area of teaching and learning and its attendant harvests.

    His words: “Let me briefly intimate you with our commitment to education since our inauguration three years ago. The first thing we did was to convoke an education summit which was attended by eminent stakeholders in education, including Prof. Wole Soyinka. The reforms we have carried out emanate from the summit. We realised that there was shortage of teachers and as of now, we have employed 10,407 teachers in all categories of schools. We now have a total number of 12,715 teachers in primary schools and 7,848 teachers in secondary schools. This is 54.8 per cent more than we inherited. We have also employed 564 non-teaching staff in schools.

    The salaries and pensions we consequently pay every year is N16.8 billion for primary school teachers while N10.3 billion is expended on same in secondary schools. So, on salary alone, we are spending a total of N27.1 billion. For the free school uniforms we gave to pupils, we have spent N900 million. For the free school feeding programme, we commit N3.6 billion every year. For the furniture supplied to the schools, we have committed N2.5 billion. Before we came, no school had instructional materials and again, on this, we have spent N503 million. The total grants to schools stand at N856 million against N122 million recorded for previous administration. We have also paid N400 million for WAEC fees against N38 million paid by previous administration.

    We have spent so far N1.2 billion on Opon Imo and this includes the delivery of 50,000 units of the tablets, some of which will be distributed in this school today. We have spent N14.4 billion on capital projects so far for the construction of brand new 13 elementary schools, 14 middle schools and 12 high schools. Work is ongoing. We have also spent N1.6 billion on school renovations and will continue until all our schools are all centres of excellence.

    The total recurrent annual expenditure on elementary schools is N21 billion, amounting to N84,000 per capital spending on each pupil while for secondary schools, it is N13.43 billion and per capital of N30,000 on each pupil. Our capital expenditure on all schools stands at N31.31 billion.

    We are not just bandying figures. These are good money spent and reflected on increased school enrolment and healthy and well-fed school children; in the cutting edge instrument of Opon Imo; in conducive environment for learning; and in drastically improved performance in internal and national examinations. They are reflected in brand new uniforms; in fulfilled teachers who now have instructional aid for the first time; in promptly paid salaries; and ultimately in self assured youths bracing up with confidence to the future.

    Beyond our financial commitment, we have invested hope in you; the hope that you will realise your greatest potentials and be a winner in your life endeavour; the hope that you will redeem our future that looked bleak hitherto. You cannot let us down. It is our hope that Nobel Laureates; renowned clergies like Pastors Adeboye and Kumuyi; Imams like Sheik Adelabu; army generals like Petinrin; great entertainers like Moses Adejumo (Baba Sala), Kareem Adepoju (Baba Wande) and King Sunny Ade; inventors like Prof. Makanjuola; eminent jurists like Kayode Esho and Emmanuel Ayoola; astute diplomats like Hastrup and Fafowora; and great politicians like Bola Ige.

    I want you to know that our concern for you is getting the best education available. You should, therefore, avoid distractions and indiscipline. We view you all as created equal by God and are therefore our shining stars. We cannot place any group above other.”

     

    Government’s position on the crisis

     

    Aregbesola insisted that a pending case against the government on the case renders it incapacitated to act further.

    “We are a product of the rule of law and this has guided all our actions. As we have said in the past, we have not approved the use of hijab in any school. Let me repeat this again for the hearing of mischief-makers who have been working tirelessly to bring religious war to our state; those prompting chaos and conflagration in our state; those who have well established antecedent of violent behaviour; those sowing the seed of discord in our schools and community and inciting one religion against another (and they will all fail miserably by the grace of the Almighty), that the government did not at any time approve the use of hijab in any school, before the matter went to court. It is the court’s position that the status quo ante be maintained until the case is determined. This means that where it is in use, it will be maintained and it should not be extended to where it is not. This is the beauty of democracy, where there is respect for the rule of law.

    We have set up a committee on discipline in public school and when we receive their report, we shall begin to enforce discipline in all schools. The future we are preparing you for has no place for unruly and undisciplined persons. Order, they say, is the first law in Heaven.

    Yoruba people have a tradition of accommodation and inclusion; that is why our families are interwoven around all religions. Some people, goaded from hell, however, are working to break our bond of unity by beating the drum of religious war. They will fail and only they and their families will dance to that evil beat,” Aregbesola concluded. He, thereafter, set up a six-man committee headed by Barr. Gbadegesin Adeseji. The committee has one week to examine the crisis and submit its recommendations

     

  • Where are this baby’s parents?

    Where are this baby’s parents?

    It was a party for children at an orphanage. But for many at the party, their attention was on a baby named Excel, whose parents abandoned on a heap of refuse, writes MIKE ODIEGWU.

    His first name is Excel. But he has no surname because he does not know his parents. The six-month baby is receiving care, attention and love that his unknown parents denied him. He is, indeed, growing and developing physically and mentally at the Bayelsa Children’s Home, Opolo.

    Niger Delta Report was told that little Excel was dumped on a heap of refuse by an unknown person few days after he was born. But a Good Samaritan rescued and brought him to the orphanage.

    His story is now a pleasant one. He has been nurtured into an irresistibly beautiful baby by the caregivers at the orphanage. He lacks nothing and no child living with his parents would boast of enjoying the yuletide more than Excel; all thanks to philanthropic Nigerians and generous oranisations.

    In fact, Sidoni Foundation and Miss Peace Bayelsa Organisation were the first to put smiles on the faces of the orphans at the orphanage. The foundation established by Dr. Selekaye Victor Ben and Mr. Seleipre Tonbie organised a party for the orphans in conjunction with Miss Peace Pageant Bayelsa Organisation (MPPBO). The playful Excel was in the party and was the cynosure of all that attended the event.

    The management of the orphanage was happy to see the children rock and roll as they danced to different tunes of music. The children also engage in other various performances and competition. At the end of the party, they were appreciated and rewarded with various types of gifts. One of the children at the orphanage identified as Agnes was particularly happy that the foundation and Miss Peace remembered them.

    “I am happy and l feel at home. I thank the foundation for coming here to celebrate with us. They are taking care of us and l would like more people to come and celebrate with us,” she said.

    On the reason behind the party, Tonbie, who is also the Director of MPPBO, said the bash was to show the children love and affection. He said it was designed to make the orphans feel at home and to reassure them that they were part of the larger and normal society.

    Tonbie said: “Most of these children are not enjoying their childhood because they are orphans and have limited opportunities to their rights to survival, development, protection and participation.

    “We need to make sure that they do not suffer a double tragedy by losing both parents and utterly neglected by the society. There is a need to show them love and care, especially at this festive period.

    “Today, we came to party with the kids. We had some performances by the orphans themselves. We had dancing competition, gave them wonderful meals and gifts.”

    He said the foundation also gave the orphanage some items such as stoves, clothes, plates, food among other items. But Tonbie lamented the failures of the government to partake in worthy ventures like caring for the less-privileged and orphans. He insisted that the government was not doing enough to lift the spirit of the orphans in the state.

    He said the government had spent so much money organising awards and international tourist events without recourse to the welfare of orphans. He said the government should show more interest in issues, activities and events concerning the wellbeing of the less-privileged.

    He continued: “There is this glamour that Bayelsa is the entertainment hub in Nigeria but quite unfortunately, people from here do not have access to funding. Bayelsa has spent so much money on various awards that have no bearing on the less privileged and the vulnerable.

    “So if Bayelsa needs to grow, they need to look inwards and support their local industry first rather than throwing money away to organise awards that do not impact on the vulnerable and the less privileged.”

    He lauded the simplification of the process of adopting children from orphanages simple. He said last year when the foundation hosted a similar event, about 40 children in the orphanage. “I am happy that people are now thinking of adopting children and taking care of them. Last year when we came here, they had about 40 orphans but as we came back, only eight children were remaining. When l asked, l was told they had been adopted.

    When asked the monetary value of the event and the gifts, he said: “We have hosted this kind of event for the third time. Basically it is not the monetary value that matters, it is the intent. The fact that we realised that there are people like this and we have to reach out to them is the most important thing.”

    On the challenges facing the foundation, he added: “We are faced with the challenges of collaboration and funding. We designed jingles on how to support orphans. We have written several letters and held many meetings but all of them ended in promises. We are hoping that government will come to support us because Bayelsa is also our state”.

    Reacting to the development, Miss Peace Bayelsa Queen, Annie Gabriel, said for peace to reign in any society, people must take issues concerning orphans seriously. He said the society would be chaotic if abandoned children were not catered for.

    She said: “If the society is not at peace, there is no way anybody would think of the less privileged. I think a peaceful society will make people to have an idea of people that are vulnerable.

    “I feel bad over the plight of the vulnerable. That is why I am happy that I have an opportunity to lend my support to the orphans through my crown. I feel that the government is not doing enough to help the orphans in the state. I appeal to them to put more effort to lift the hope of the less privileged.”

    Gabriel said she had good discussions with the children and that the children had wonderful dreams for the future. According to her, some of the children said they would like to lawyers, engineers, doctors and other professions. She said she enjoyed her chat with the kids/

    But some persons who attended the event rained curses on mothers who are fond of abandoning their children. After listening to the story of Excel, a woman who identified herself simply as Mary, could not control her emotion. She wondered why some people should cast their toddlers away while others were ready to pay fortunes for such babies.

    She said: “Imagine a mother abandoning her own child in a refuse bin. This is a peak of wickedness. I do not like praying bad prayers, but in this situation, I differ. I pray that God should block the womb of this wicked woman who did this to a God-given handsome child.

    “Many women are using millions of naira to look for a child but here is a woman, who got a child freely from God but decided to throw him into the dustbin. Whoever she is, she is wickedness personified and a shame to womanhood. I know God is not sleeping. He sees everything and I am optimistic that this boy will be a pride of this nation.”

  • Parents advised to attend seminars

    Parenting seminars are a must for parents to raise well-adjusted children, says Mrs Wuraola Young.

    Mrs Young, who was mother of the day at Lillywhite Nursery and Primary School Musical Concert/Christmas Carol Service, said instincts and head knowledge cannot help parents to train their wards.

    She referred to parenting from the head as “old school,” and urging parents to jettison it and seek knowledge to train children growing up in the 21st century.

    “The more advanced the world is going, the more advanced the children are. Therefore, more advanced measures should be put in place to groom them,” she said.

    Mrs Young also advised parents to build their wards’ confidence and spend quality time with them.

    She, however, warned them to monitor how the young ones use technologically-savvy gadgets, because their abuse can corrupt their minds.

    The Proprietress, Mrs Taufikat Osibanjo, reminded parents and their wards to share with others during this season.

    “Christmas is the remembrance of the birth of Jesus Christ, at the same time Christmas is not just eating and dancing, it also encourages us to remember the less privileged,” she said.

    In light of this, she said that the school had visited some motherless babies homes to share gifts.

    Chairman of Lilywhite School, Mr Abayomi Osibanjo said the event provided a platform for parents, their wards and loved ones to come together, exchange gifts, share and to love one another.

    He advised parents to show love and peace and not let religion, color of skin or ethnicity, separate them.

    “Children don’t know colour, religion or ethnicity, if we inculcate this habit of togetherness, peace and love it will go a long way,” Osibanjo said.

     

  • ‘Parents should not support malpractice’

    ‘Parents should not support malpractice’

    No proprietor is happy to see pupils leave for other schools but if the change is motivated by the desire to perpetrate examination malpractice, Mrs Fatimo Monayajo proprietress of Soundhope Schools, Lagos, does not regret letting them go.

    The educationist of over 29 years experience said in an interview with The Nation that she is only sad that parents and schools get involved in unethical practices all in the name of helping pupils to pass.

    She said in her 18 years of running the Soundhope Montessori School and 15 years of Soundhope High School, she has turned down parents who requested help for their wards in external examinations. And even though their leaving means the school may not always have the minimum 50 candidates stipulated by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) to make a centre, Mrs Monayajo does not mind paying the penalty.

    She said: “I do not condone examination malpractice; that is why I don’t take external candidates. We always pay a fine for low candidature and I don’t mind.The reason why I don’t accept external candidature is that I do not know where they are coming from. Many of them are looking for one paper or the other so are desperate to pass by all means.

    “It is sad that even parents have come to complain that we don’t teach our students during examination and I tell them that they have been well equipped to sit for any exams. I always tell parents not to be afraid but to give their children the support by letting them know that they have to read to pass these exams themselves and not somebody teaching them or writing for them.

    “As parents, you may think you are helping these children but we must remember that we will not always be there for them and that is why when they get to the university and place of work they have problems because they cannot defend the certificate they are carrying.”

    With her new school, Soundhope British International Academy, which opened for business this session in Gbagada area of Lagos, Mrs Monayajo said the same principle will apply.

    She mourned the loss of morals that the various ethnic groups in Nigeria used to be known for and seeks their restoration, which she believes will help the country get out of the doldrums.

    “To solve the problem of examination malpractice and others, we must look at the moral level; our values; we have lost our values. To correct this let us go back to the basis, our values, our language. The problem is that we are forgetting where we come from,” she said.

    To give pupils of SoundHope British International Academy an edge, Mrs Monayajo said the school will offer a blend of the Nigerian and British Curriculum and present them for examinations in both areas.

    She added that teaching and learning will be ICT-driven as provisions have been made for all classrooms to be equipped with electronic boards/projectors and laptops for teachers and pupils to interact during class sessions.

    “My class size here is 20 because of the facilities and the kind of education we want to give. The teacher would give individualised attention,” she said.

    Mrs Monayajo said the school offered four scholarships -to two indigent pupils from Gbagada and two others who performed excellently in the entrance examination.