The Nation Newspaper

Tag: pupils

  • Lawmaker’s scholarship lifts 75 pupils

    Lawmaker’s scholarship lifts 75 pupils

    The lawmaker representing Lagos East in the Senate, Gbenga Ashafa, has charged parents to support their children’s education to the tertiary level. Ashafa made the charge in Epe last weekend during the presentation of scholarships to 75 indigent pupils in Ikosi-Ejirin Local Council Development Area (LCDA).

    The pupils, drawn from various public schools, were selected by the Gbenga Ashafa Educational Enhancement Programme.

    Congratulating the beneficiaries, the lawmaker told the pupils to make judicious use of the grants.

    He urged the parents to see education as a potent tool for development and always support their wards’ quest for it. He added that the programme is aimed and sustaining pupils’ interest in education.

    He said: “Today’s occasion serves as a pilot project for the indigent students in public schools throughout the Lagos East senatorial district. Support for education has always been an integral part of our programmes.

    “Under this scheme, a lot of success has been recorded. In the last three months, over 10,000 copies of writing materials, mathematical sets and rain coats were distributed throughout schools in my senatorial district. This is not to mention the different categories of scholarships and various financial assistances, all to keep the interest of our children in education.”

    The chairman of the Gbenga Ashafa Educational Enhancement Programme in the local government, Oba Ganiu Aderibigbe, Alayandelu of Odo Ayandelu, thanked the lawmaker for the gesture.

    “We thank our amiable Senator Ashafa for this initiative. Without this scholarship, the implication would have been to have these children out of schools without completing their studies, which has the potential to constitute nuisance in our community,” he said.

    The beneficiaries, who were indigenes and non-indigenes of Lagos State, were selected across communities in the LCDA. One of them, Abraham Mercy, a Primary 5 pupil of Anglican Primary School, Ajebo, said she almost stopped schooling when her parents could not afford to pay. She appreciated the senator’s gesture, saying: “Thank you sir, Senator Ashafa, for this scholarship; I will go back to complete primary school.”

    At the programme were the LCDA chairman, Hon. Segun Adetoba, leader of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Epe division, Chief Lanre Rasaq, Commissioner II in Lagos State Civil Service, Mr Wasiu Odeyemi, traditional rulers from Ikorodu, Epe, Agbowa and Ikosi-Ejirin among others.

  • Pupils remember Holocaust victims

    Pupils remember Holocaust victims

    As the United Nations (UN) remembered Holocaust victims of the World War II last Tuesday, pupils who have followed the horror stories of attacks that have ended the lives of 10,000 people, maiming thousands of others in Northern Nigeria since 2009, are seeking a permanent solution to the crisis.

    They want political leaders to be less corrupt, followers to be more responsible and members of the sect to stop taking innocent lives.

    The event was the International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust held at the Fountain Heights Secondary School, Surulere, Lagos. The day was set aside by the UN to constantly remind citizens of the world not to forget the heinous crimes of Adolf Hitler in the killing of six million Jews, Roma, Sinti, homosexuals, the mentally ill and others during the Second World War, with the hope that there will not be a repeat of such.

    The pupils, drawn from various secondary schools in the state, were shown films of the atrocities perpetrated by Adolf Hitler during the world war. They were horrified by the level of depravity that could make a man mastermind the deaths of fellow humans to such scale. However, they were also moved by heroic efforts that saved many Jewish lives, which the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon noted was the focus of the event.

    In his message read by Mrs Olajumoke Araba, Officer-in-Charge, United Nations Information Centre (UNIC), the UN envoy said the aim of the celebration was to honour the rescuers and encourage the pupils to imbibe values of courage and leadership.

    “This year’s theme: Rescue during the Holocaust: the Courage to Care – pays tribute to those who risked their lives and their families to save Jews and others from almost certain death under Nazi rule. Although acts of genocide illustrate the depths of evil to which individuals and whole societies can descend, the examples of these brave men and women also demonstrate the capacity of humankind for remarkable good, even during the darkest of days. On this International Day, let us remember all the innocent people who lost their lives during the Holocaust. And let us be inspired by those who had the courage to care – the ordinary people who took extraordinary steps to defend human dignity. Their example can help us build a better world today,” he said.

    Though the activities of the Boko Haram sect pales in comparison to Hitler’s atrocities more than 70 years ago, the pupils are concerned that if not checked the situation could get even worse than it is today. They proposed a range of solutions including dialogue, equipping relevant government agencies to deal with security threats, providing financial reprieve for the masses among others.

    Condemning any cause that involves taking human lives, Dorcas Ebhohimhen of Kamsek International School, Alagbado, said the government should be sensitive to issues that could cause disaffection, especially among the less privileged of the society.

    She said: “Many things cause revolt. For instance, the fuel subsidy removal affected many people. You can imagine someone that is earning N12,000 who is expected to pay school fees, transportation and feed from it. Then government removes subsidy from N97 to N120. Our leaders should consider that all fingers are not equal before taking decisions. They should consider the poor when taking decisions.”

    On her part, Boma Praise-George, a pupil of May Day College, Iponri, listed hatred, jealousy, poverty, ignorance and religious differences as factors that cause crisis of this nature. She also upbraided political leaders for their corrupt practices which she said can frustrate people.

    “Leaders are the cause. Most of them are corrupt. They should step up and really try and improve their leadership skills instead of allowing innocent people to be killed,” she said.

    As far as Nifemi Yousuph, an SS3 pupil of Fountain Heights is concerned parents who fail in their roles to nurture their wards leave room for them to go astray. Though he factored poor education as a reason why youths join sects like Boko Haram, he said with proper home training young people will be focused on societal development.

    “I don’t think they (members of the sect) are totally informed about the harm they are causing. Most of them are not properly educated. Mutallab was educated but he was a spoilt rich kid who had nothing to do. He had money but chose the wrong path. Parents have a serious role to play to ensure their children do not stray,” he said.

     

  • Bristow kits 400 pupils

    Bristow kits 400 pupils

    Helicopter Service providers, Bristow Helicopters, left pupils of four primary schools in Akwa Ibom State smiling with its school kits presented to them.

    The firm, under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative tagged “Bristow Uplift”, presented the school kits comprising of bags, uniforms, shoes, sportswear and sweaters to about 400 pupils drawn from four community schools in Eket, EsitEket, Ibeno and Onna.

    Bristow Uplift volunteers visited the four schools over a period of two days in the communities and presenting the kits to each pupil.

    Appreciation of the gifts, Head Teacher, QIC Primary School, Ikot Akpatek, Onna Local Government Area, Elder Francis Marcus said the Bristow Uplift programme is a kind gesture which has brought smiles to the children and their parents.

    He said, “This act of kindness is one that these children will never forget. For some of them, this is the first time they will wear school uniform or even carry a bag to school. We pray that God continues to bless the management and staff of Bristow”.

    Describing the initiative as the “Bristow Way of creating positive change in our communities”, the Managing Director, Bristow Helicopters Nigeria Ltd, Captain Akin Oni noted that it demonstrates the organisation’s support for the children.

    “Improving education is one of the biggest challenges facing Nigeria, and we wanted to provide support for primary school children because that is the critical time to make sure these kids have what they need to succeed,” he said.

  • Plateau pupils caught in wages crisis

    Plateau pupils caught in wages crisis

     Plateau State pupils are roaming the streets. Weeds are taking over their schools’ premises because of the protracted strike (now six months old) by their teachers over the minimum wage. YUSUFU AMINU IDEGU examines the causes and effects of the crisis.

    All is not well with the teaching profession in Plateau State. Teachers have spent more time outside the classrooms in the past five years. This is largely due to frequent strikes by them over welfare issues.

    At the moment, teachers in state-owned primary and secondary schools have been out of the classrooms since May, due to the strike declared by local government workers’ union – the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) Plateau State chapter. All appeals to get them back to work failed as they insisted that something concrete must be done about the 18 per cent minimum wage.

    The Executive Chairman of the Plateau State Universal Education Board (SUBEB), Mrs Lyop Mang, insists teachers have no business embarking on strike because they are enjoying the best times in their career under the administration of Governor Jonah David Jang.

    Nevertheless, the state has witnessed more strikes during this administration than in the past.

    Jang himself acknowledged this fact recently while addressing stakeholders in the Government House in Jos.

    He said at the meeting: “There is no governor in the history of the state that has taken care of workers’ welfare than I have done, yet no administration had witnessed the number of strikes witnessed under my administration. Something must be wrong and I want to know.”

    In his five years as governor, Jang has trained 52,122 teachers at various professional levels between 2007 and 2012; implemented 27.5 per cent teachers’ salary allowance as well as employed 500 teachers of English and Mathematics in secondary schools.

    On assumption of office in 2007, Jang was said to have paid a backlog of teachers’ leave and transport allowances to the tune of N636 million, owed two years before his tenure. The governor regularised payment of teacher’s salaries by ensuring promotion of teachers are released timely.

    To improve the school environment, Jang renovated 175 primary schools, constructed over 500 classrooms, and distributed about 50,000 plastic chairs/desks. He established 19 new nomadic schools in seven LGAs while 1,395 sets of dual desks, seven tables and 20 pieces of universal furniture were provided for physically-challenged learners.

    Also, over 400,000 copies of English, Mathematics and science textbooks with additional 290,000 other books were distributed to schools. The state ensures the 1,033 schools receive instructional materials yearly.

    In addition, 67,264 registers, lesson note books, weekly dairies and assorted books were distributed to schools. Most importantly, the governor purchased 34 motorcycles for the 17 LGEAs.

    All these were possible after the convocation of several education summits between 2007 and 2009.

    However, the current strike is the result of a disagreement over the implementation of the N18,000 minimum wage introduced by the Federal Government in 2010. The government told workers it would pay 50 per cent of the wages initially and would increase to 100 per cent if the allocation from the Federal Government increases.

    At the end of Jang’s meeting with the stakeholders, it was agreed that a committee of elders be constituted to mediate between the aggrieved workers and government for an amicable settlement of the disputed wage. The high profile committee is chaired by a former military administrator of the state, Rear Admiral Samuel Bitrus Atukum (rtd).

    The elders committee held several meetings with the striking workers. The issue of minimum wage was resolved and the government reached an agreement with NULGE and the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) to pay 55 per cent of the N18,000 minimum wage.

    However, schools cannot resume because NULGE wants salaries owed during the five months strike paid.

    Its state Chairman, Emmanuel Loman said:“A lot of meetings have been held, but these workers have continued to stand in the way of amicable resolution. The elders’ committee has even gone as far as promising the workers additional five per cent to the 50 per cent they were originally offered, which the workers rejected. They insisted on 100 per cent payment of the minimum wage which we chairmen cannot obviously afford to pay due to continued reduction in our monthly allocation.

    “Everyone has been expecting the workers to call off the strike but they came again insisting that the salaries of the last five months of the strike should be paid before they call it off. This, again, is another stumbling block because we operate on “no work no pay rule”. This is a rule NULGE is aware of long before now.”

    The issue of no-work-no-pay rule is not a new policy in Plateau State. Medical workers who went on strike for months resumed work without any payment of salary arrears. The same condition applied to teachers of state-owned tertiary institutions who were on strike last year.

    However, teachers insist that their welfare suffered a severe set back under the Jang administration, saying renovations and construction of new classrooms does not translate to improved salaries.

    Joel Mathew, a primary school teacher in Jos North LGA said: “The present government deceived us at the early stage. The governor cleared the backlog of salaries owed us by past administration and we applauded him then not knowing that he will be the worst. Now, it is clear to us that the governor was not sincere with the welfare of the teachers.

    “How can you say you care for teacher’s welfare, yet you allow them to go on strike due to your failure to treat us like our counterparts in other states? For instance, the latest reason for our strike, the governor agreed to pay the minimum wage, but we are on strike because he failed to implement his own agreement.

    “A governor that claims to have the best welfare for teachers will allow teachers to be on strike for five good months. What sort of welfare package is that?” queried Ayuba Gyang, a teacher in Riyom LGA.

    Another teacher from Jos South LGA, Laraba Joshua, also claimed the governor’s act of solidarity at the beginning was deceptive.

    “This government does not care if Plateau children go to school or not. We are highly disappointed because Governor Jang at the initial stage declared a state of emergency in education in the state and raised our hope; we thought he was going to do something serious. He now appear to be the worst governor in education because if he can allow teachers to be on strike for six months, it shows he does not care for education in the state”

    Yohana Pam, a teacher in Jos North had this to say: “I’m currently looking for a job. We are not complaining about conducive working environment; we have that already but the governor should know we deserve better pay like teachers of other states.”

    However, Mrs Mang said teachers were involved in the strike out of sympathy not because the government has not done enough.

    She said: “The truth about this strike is that we don’t have a problem with our teachers in terms of provision of welfare and conducive working environment. The present governor is second to none in the country in funding of education. My teachers are on a sympathetic strike because they fall under NULGE union; it is NULGE that is on strike here, not NLC. But NLC has to join in solidarity; this is the truth.”

    She went on:“The issue of salaries of local government workers has nothing to do with state governor because local governments receive their allocation directly through the Ministry for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs

    “Education has been enjoying a lion share in annual budget in Plateau State since the state governor declared a state of emergency on its educational sector in 2007. The records are there to show and the projects are there for all to see.”

    Mrs Mang said to avoid such unnecessary closure of schools, the Federal Government should allow SUBEB to handle teachers remuneration.

    “This is why I am of the suggestion that if the Federal government is interested in an uninterrupted education system, teachers should be removed from government ministries and handed over to SUBEB all over the federation, so that they will not be forced to join general strikes by NULGE as we are witnessing.”

    Mrs Mang also faulted the insistence that the government should pay the workers for the months they were on strike.

    “If workers who refused to go to work for months are asking for salary arrears, who will pay school children that has been loitering at home within the period? Who will pay parents who have lost loved ones as a result of the strike? I don’t think their demand is reasonable.

    “I, therefore, appeal to the workers to drop their pride and resume work. I want them to consider the fact that the effect of children not going to school due to strikes will be on us adults because if they turn out to be criminals tomorrow, all of us, including these teachers, will face the consequence of mass illiterate children turned criminals.”

    So far, there is the state will resume soon even as the first term is already half way. At the moment, private schools are having a field day in Jos, exploiting frustrated parents who could not afford to keep their wards at home because of the prolonged strike.