The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Principal

  • FUPRE principal officers’ ‘appointment in order’

    Management of the Federal University of Petroleum Resources in Effurun (FUPRE), Delta State, has urged the public to disregard what it described as “sponsored publication” against the institution by Coalition of Urhobo Youth Organisation (CUYO) in the media.

    The management said the youth organisation lacked university administration knowledge, saying the group’s malicious publication would not derail the institution’s progress. The school was reacting to a media report credited to CUYO, which called for dissolution of the university’s Governing Council over the appointment of principal officers.

    The management said it would not join issue with the group, but said its response to “unfounded reasons” for the dissolution of the Governing Council was for the purposes of setting the records straight.

    A statement by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Prof Olatunde Damisa, on Tuesday, said the group lacked knowledge of the procedure for the selection and appointment of principal officers.

    The statement reads: “Between May and September 2013, the university advertised the positions of the Vice-Chancellor, Registrar, Bursar and Librarian, which are part of the mandate of the university as the first petroleum institution in Africa and fifth in the world.

    “After due screening and assessment of the applications received for all the positions, Prof John Ovwata Etu-Efeotor was appointed the Vice-Chancellor of the university. The candidates for the other positions did not meet the required criteria in line with the mandate of the university.

    “The statement by CUYO that the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the university’s Governing Council, Senator Nimi Barigha-Amange, is grooming someone to take over the positions is a distraction by disgruntled applicants, who perhaps failed to pass through the stringent requirements of the university at the interviews. It is obvious that the statement is a figment of the imagination of the group.”

    The management urged the public to disregard the publication and to support the progress and development of the institution.

  • Principal writes books to help youths

    Principal writes books to help youths

    WITH two books titled: Your Life and Challenges and The Challenges of Nigerian Youth, Principal, Early Life Secondary School, FESTAC Town, Lagos, Mazi Modesty Onyma Onyenankeya, hopes that young people can get a hold on their lives.

    He said he was inspired to write the books to address the decadence in the society and help young people to identify and address issues in their lives.

    “The decadence is a resultant effect of a lowered value system. Also, things have been happening that have negatively been affecting the youth and such issues should be addressed in order to equip them to enrich their lives for a greater future. That is for the first book, which is on Your Life and Challenges.

    “I also find that there are many issues that people face. Many people can’t actually examine them and can’t even think rightly or articulate the issues bothering them. And because of this, people keep on making mistakes. So, I feel that they need to be properly guided to understand issues around them to help them live a better life,” the author said.

    Commenting on literacy level of youths,, Onyema lamented that most youths are educationally disadvantaged.

    “As an accomplished educator and through interaction with students I have discovered that today, many children who should be well educated are not educated. And the cost of education is so high that my people cannot even afford it. Government is not doing what they should do. Like in many of the private institutions, you find out there that the standard of education leaves much to be desired,” he said.

    Hon. Collins Nwanya and Mr. Chude Achke, reviewers of the books, praised the author for his effort.

    The launch of the books at Early Life Secondary School also served as a Youth Leadership Forum. Pupils from Nobel Comprehensive High School, Okokomaiko, Hope Bay College, Mazamaza campus, and Kabe College, FESTAC in attendance heard from seasoned professionals who also recommended the books.

    A Nigerian priest ordained for the Diorces Brich, United States, Revd Father Sebastian Ukpandu, urged the youth not to just lament the problem of bad leadership, but be innovative, creative, industrious and entrepreneurial.

    He said: “As country, we should not have any business with poverty. But again, given that situation, what should the Nigerian youth do? Sit down and cry that your money and resources are all stolen? No. we have to see this challenge as a stepping stone not a stumbling block. Tell yourself that God, who has given me this challenge, will also give me the grace to overcome and surmount it. All we need to do is, tap into your inner strength and tell yourself, I can do it.”

    He urged the youth to draw inspiration from the author.

    “This is a very wonderful work. And I want to thank the author again for painstakingly putting this down. And it is my prayer that every youth will read this book or get the benefit of listening to somebody who has read this book because it will help them immensely,” he said.

    Chief launcher, Osuala Chigozie, who called for prayers to move the nation forward, also advised the youth to positively engage themselves in productive ventures.

    “We need to pray for people in government. We have all it takes to be a great nation and to move forward, but our government keeps drawing us backwards,” he said.

  • FCT School principals urged to be effective leaders

    The Secretary for Education, FCTA, Mallam Kabir Usman has admonished principals in FCT schools to be effective leaders if they are to meet desired results of imparting knowledge and good moral character to their students.

    The Secretary made this charge at the second  International Best Practices  Retreat for  School Principals, Proprietors and Administrators  organised by the Exam Ethics Marshals International in Accra, Ghana.

    In his keynote address titled “Leadership Skills for Principals” for which he received a prolonged standing ovation from principals and education administrators from several African countries, Mallam Kabir Usman said that principals must always lead by example and not be afraid to “jump into the fray” if they are to win the respect and loyalty of their teachers.

    He also said that the FCT Education Secretariat takes the process of appointment of school principals very seriously indeed and has always ensured that whoever is appointed as a principal has all the prerequisite academic qualifications and leadership qualities.

    He emphasised that a principal must first of all be a teacher as the position of  a principal is simply an elevation to an administrative capacity. No principal or school head should therefore not be able to handle himself well in the classroom

    He also listed some qualities which all effective school principals must imbibe. They include the ability to communicate, the ability to listen, to be easily accessible to staff and students, to be able to meet challenges effectively, to be able to propose and implement laudable initiatives, to be team player and be flexible and adaptable to change.

    The consequences of leadership failures in the school he concluded will lead to students not reaching their full potentials and eventually become victims of social vices. Unleashed into the larger society he said, these students will bring “nothing but grief to all”

  • Principal pleads review of child marriage law

    The principal of Ansaru-Deen Girls High School Surulere, Lagos, Mrs Fatima Ajani, has appealed to the Senate to review the section in the Nigeria Constitution that condones child marriage.

    Mrs Ajani made the appeal at the school’s valedictory service. If expunged, Ajani said it will further sustain girl-child education in the country.

    According to her, it is inhuman for anyone to force minors to become mothers when they are still under the tutelage of their parents who will raise them to become responsible adults.

    She wondered what a minor knows about parenting a child when she is a child who needs to be trained and nurtured to become a mother.

    Addressing the graduands, Mrs Ajani implored them to uphold the values and virtues that make up for a safer and peaceful society.

    The fun-filled ceremony which featured seminar and comedy, among other activities, had parents, staff and pupils gathered at the school hall to celebrate the graduands, especially nine who stood out among the lot across Basis Six up to Senior Secondary School classes.

    The best outgoing pupil, Akinsanme Zianat Abike, urged her juniors to be prayerful, hardworking and obey civil instruction given to them by the school authority.

    When asked how she excelled among her peers, she said: “Throughout my stay in this school, I was always prayerful; besides, I’m an avid reader and with obedience to my teachers, God crowned my effort with success.”

     

  • Principal faults non-involvement of private schools in sports

    Principal, Early-Life Secondary School, Festac, Mr Onyema Onyenakeya has complained that private schools are not notified of school sports activities organised by government, unlike in the past.

    Speaking at the 17th inter-house sports competition of the school, Onyenakeya said a return to the old practice would help Nigeria to groom future athletes that can compete on the international level.

    He said: “They are not catching them young these days. In those days when we were in school, we had school sporting activities, local, state and national level; and from there you have a group of people that are well groomed but that is lacking today. It is unfortunate that even when attempts are made to recognise it, the private schools are not carried along. We have private schools that sport should reckon with, but when you exclude them you are not reaping the reward of what this sector of education is growing.

    “For Nigeria to actually make it in sports at national and international levels we need to go back to the grass root; we need to go back to the school level. We need to encourage schools; sports teachers need to be trained and also need motivated. As a matter of fact, it should be a law that before approval of any school adequate sporting facilities should be provided, and there should be adequate and periodical competition among schools at the primary and secondary levels.”

    During the sports competition, the pupils participated in 100, 200 and 400 metres dash, relay race, Cycling, Orobo race, and Calisthenics. The event also featured races by teachers and parents.

    The competition came to an end with Blue House lifting the trophy. Yellow House came second, Green third, and Red, fourth position. The best male and female athletes of the competition were Nnamdi Okeke and Ugwu Chinyere.

    Chairman of the event, Sir Peter Nwabunike Ezimuor said “sports plays central role in the psycho-motor development of students. Moreover, these days sports not only enhances the physical development of people, it also enhances their mental development and is a veritable means of employment and stardom to many.”