The Nation Newspaper

Tag: school bus

  • Lawmaker launches school bus scheme

    Lawmaker launches school bus scheme

    Aba, the commercial nerve of Abia State, throbs with business, and boasts a good number of schools, but it also teems with out of school kids, many of whom hawkers.

    Worried by this, the lawmaker representing Aba North and South Federal Constituency, Hon. Ossy Prestige has launched a free bus scheme for residents of school age from nursery to university levels. The buses, according to Prestige, would convey students to their various schools between 6:30am and 8:00am while it would be on the road again to take the students back to their homes between the 2:00pm and 2:30pm. Pupils who would not have gone to school for transportation reasons will find the buses useful.

    The lawmaker who was represented at the flag-off exercise in Aba by an aide, George Ezikpe Okiyi, said the bus scheme was a fulfillment of part of his campaign promises to fight illiteracy in Aba North and South.

    “For us,” Okiyi said, “It is a celebration of some sort. It is just like the realisation of the vision of Prestige to help in alleviating the suffering of the people of Aba North and South Federal constituency. You know how hard things are now and most parents spend a lot in conveying their kids to schools on a daily basis and if you consider that we are in a recession and that the economy hasn’t been that good for every person, you will know the stress parents are going through in ensuring that their wards and kids go to school and come back on a daily basis.

    “If you understand the importance of education, you will know that the difference between the man in the office and the man at the gate is education qualification. So, the importance of education cannot be overemphasised. But the issue is that anything you do to help the parents for the purpose of sending their kids to school is a very good thing. Once a child is empowered through education, you have gone a step ahead to shape this society. Education is the key and anything that you can do along that line is what you can’t quantify its monetary value.

    “This is just the pilot scheme, more of the buses are going to be here, enough to populate the entire Aba North and South local governments. We will make sure that every child has the opportunity of going to school and coming back as well with the bus scheme.”

  • Two pupils thrown out of school bus

    Two pupils thrown out of school bus

    Two pupils were on Friday flung out of their school bus at Costain roundabout, Iponri, in Lagos.

    The pupils were said to have hit their heads on the road after being thrown out of the bus driven by the school proprietor, Mr Ekezie Augustine.

    Seunfunmi Oseni (4) and Amira Otegbola (6) are lying critically ill at Brickfield Medical Clinic on 15, Ademuyiwa Road, Ebute Meta.

    The Rapid Response Squad (RRS) has handed Angustine, who runs New Vine International School at Mushin, over to Iponri Divisional Traffic Officer (DTO) for prosecution.

    According to Augustine, the 20 children were coming from the National Theatre, Iganmu when the door of the hired Danfo bus suddenly opened while negotiating the roundabout.

    Oseni and Otegbola have been referred to a radiology on Ogunlana Drive in Surulere for brain scan before further treatment.

    According to an official of the Brickfield Medical Centre, “the boy Seunfunmi sustained more injuries. There are lot of bruises on his head and leg. He has not walked since he was brought here. We fear he has injured his legs too. He is always folding it and he prefers to be carried.

    The source added that the pupils were prevented from taken liquid because of the fear of internal injuries.

    Three teachers of the school were reported to be inside the bus.

  • Free school bus turns three

    The Ondo State government will celebrate the third anniversary of its Free School Bus Shuttle initiative on Friday.

    The celebration  coincides with the annual marking of the annulled June12, 1993 presidential election.

    Commissioner for Information Kayode Akinmade said the take-off of the programme three years ago was deliberately planned as part of activities marking the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election.

    He said the scheme, which has put the state on world map,has been adjudged one of the Mimiko-led administration’s programmes, which exposes it as a progressive government.

    “This programme is the first of its kind in Africa and it has really gone a long way to register that the government is responsible for pupils’ well being

    “The parents too can also identify with some of the projects government is spending their tax money on.

    “The evaluation of the scheme has shown that pupils are more punctual and jobs have been created.”

     

  • Seminar for school bus drivers

    Seminar for school bus drivers

    An association, Automobiles and Road Safety Initiative, will on Monday hold a workshop for school bus drivers.

    The four-day event tagged, “School Bus Drivers’ Safety Training Workshop,” is designed to equip the drivers with broad knowledge and skills to drive safely, save lives, time, money and the bus.

    The President of the body, Mr Samuel Oriowo, said the courses would be handled by experts who are passionate about the competence of drivers conveying pupils/students to and from their schools.

    Saying that certificates would be awarded to participants, Oriowo added: “On the completion of the workshop, the drivers should be able to imbibe the culture of safe driving; mastered the Collision Prevention Formula and employ techniques to manage their emotions and behaviour while driving. Also, they must have been exposed to factors that they can control before driving; understand factors capable of challenging safe driving and master the habit of vehicle inspection before embarking on driving on daily basis, among others.”