The Nation Newspaper

Tag: school

  • School promotes unity at Cultural Day

    With colourful attires and demonstrations from various tribes of Nigeria, pupils of Access International School, Magboro in Ogun State promoted virtues of a united Nigeria during their cultural day.

    Activities at the event were translated into Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa and Calabar languages at every turn.

    The primary and secondary pupils and their teachers presented various dance styles, foods, history, attires, speech and other cultural norms of various tribes in Nigeria.

    The Yoruba teacher, Mr Azeez Adeleke, who explained the origin of the Yoruba culture, urged parents to teach children their mother language as it always promotes morality.

    Head teacher of the school’s primary arm, Mr Yaw Agyei, a Ghanaian who also explained the history of his kinsmen to pupils, said culture and training go together.

    An SS 1 pupil, Praise Bassey, who featured with the Calabar troupe in dance and food presentation, urged her peers to stay united and learn their mother language, despite their different tribes, to build an enviable Nigeria.

    Proprietor of the school, Dr Jonathan Akpan, said the school is dedicated to imparting knowledge and cultural unity on pupils through its programmes and activities.

    He said: “We join hands in our school to lift up various tribes in our country. That shows that Nigeria is still one, despite our economic and tribal upheavals.  Our languages are even spoken beyond Nigeria and people in other countries also stick to theirs.

    “Mother tongue is important and should be compulsory in schools. We should stop  the act of replac ing our language by speaking   English Language to  our children always. Parents should try to teach their children their language. The school cannot employ teachers to teach the children all the tribes so it  must start from home.”

  • Orphan: Greensprings students sent me to school

    Orphan: Greensprings students sent me to school

    Elizabeth Efua Emmanuel has the pioneer set of International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma students of Greensprings School, Lekki, to thank for being a graduate today.

    This is because they raised funds for her to attend Bowen University Iwo, Osun State, where she studied Mass Communication.

    Elizabeth, an orphan, met with the students when they visited the Arrows of God Orphanage Home in 2010 on a community assistance project.  By then, she had gained admission but could not go to the university because of lack of funds.

    The students raised the funds that kept her in school, to Elizabeth’s surprise, for four years by embarking on various projects.

    She said: “When the IB students of Greensprings School came to Arrows, Rev. D.C Ogo introduced me to them and told them the challenges I was facing.  To my amusement, they promised to cater for my university education. I wondered how these students would pay my fees for four years. But to my surprise, they paid my fees a few days later. They took a loan and started some fund raising activities to raise money to repay the loan and continued to pay my fees. I gathered that they sold pizza, organised movie nights, jumble sales and lots more to keep the funds coming. I thought that at some point the payment of my fees would stop but that never happened.”

    Elizabeth, who graduated in 2014 and completed her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) last year, is grateful to the students for contributing to her life.

    One of the IB students involved in the project, Moyo Maku, is now a second class upper Law student at De Montfort University UK.  She is happy to have participated in the programme.

    “I still feel incredibly proud and humbled that in my time, we were able to teach children in an orphanage regularly and actually raised tuition for one of them for her university education through different fundraising projects,” she said.

    Sixth Form Principal, Greensprings School, Mrs Jennifer Sunkanmi-Qazzeem, said IB students not only get quality academic training but gain maturity that allows them to be better prepared for the university.

    “Our children need to attain a comfortable level of maturity before we let them go abroad for their degree programmes so that they can appreciate the need to give back to their country in their own little way,” she said.

     

  • School promotes unity at Cultural Day

    School promotes unity at Cultural Day

    With colourful attires and demonstrations from various tribes of Nigeria, pupils of Access International School, Magboro, Ogun State promoted virtues of a united Nigeria during their cultural day.

    Activities at the event were translated in Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa and Calabar languages at every turn.

    The primary and secondary pupils and their teachers presented various dance styles, foods, history, attires, speech and other cultural norms of various tribes in Nigeria.

    The Yoruba teacher, Mr Azeez Adeleke, who explained the origin of the Yoruba culture, urged parents to teach children their mother language as it always promotes morality.

    Head teacher of the school’s primary arm, Mr Yaw Agyei, a Ghanian who also explained the history of his kinsmen to pupils, said culture and training go together.

    An SS 1 pupil, Praise Bassey, who featured with the Calabar troupe in dance and food presentation, urged her peers to stay united and learn their mother language, despite their different tribes, to build an enviable Nigeria.

    Proprietor of the school, Dr Jonathan Akpan, said the school is dedicated to imparting knowledge and cultural unity on pupils through its programmes and activities.

    He said: “We join hands in our school to lift up various tribes in our country. That shows that Nigeria is still one, despite our economic and tribal upheavals.  Our languages are even spoken beyond Nigeria and people in other countries also stick to theirs.

    “Mother tongue is important and should be compulsory in schools. We should stop  the act of replac ing our language by speaking   English Language to  our children always . Parents should try to teach their children their language. The school cannot employ teachers to teach the children all the tribes so it  must start from home.”

  • Kidnapped Lagos schoolgirls freed

    Kidnapped Lagos schoolgirls freed

    Five days of anxiety ended yesterday for parents, friends and family members of the three girls kidnapped from Babington Macaulay Junior Seminary (BMJS), Ikorodu, as they regained freedom.

    Oluwatimehin Olusa, Tofunmi Popoolaniyan and Deborah Akinayo were abducted from their classroom during prep last Monday.

    They were rescued at about 9:45am  by a team led by Lagos State Commissioner of Police Fatai Owoseni.

    Their rescue came two days after Inspector General of Police Solomon Arase deployed the Special Intelligence Response Team (SIRT) to complement the efforts of the Lagos State Command.

    Three of the suspects were arrested and are at the command’s headquarters in Ikeja.

    Among the suspects is Emmanuel Arigidi. Also being held are two others who allegedly registered the mobile telephone sim card that was used to contact the girls’ parents for to demand ransom.

    A police source spoke of how security agents infiltrated the gang and worked on their members’ parents in a bid to force the hand of the kidnappers. “The criminals gave up because of too much pressure on them,” he said, requesting not to be named because he is not permitted to talk to the media.

    “After Arigidi was arrested, the father of two of the criminals, volunteered to go into the Adamo creeks to speak with the others.

    “He went with a canoe after Arigidi gave the police the exact location of the girls. When he got to the creeks, he spoke to them, informing them that the police had arrested one of their gang members.

    “He also told them that if they failed to release the girls, the police had stationed their helicopters for aerial bombardment. Seeing no other way out, the suspects quickly took the girls to Igbo-Okuta Bridge, Imota, dropped them there and called in anonymously,” said the source.

    Confirming the girls’ release, Owoseni said: “Yes the girls have been rescued. I am with them and about to hand them over to their principal and parents. In continuation of our search for the girls, I received information that they were sighted at Imota area of Ikorodu. I went there to pick them up in my car and they are safe in police custody.

    ”They were rescued at about 9.44am today (Sunday). I can confirm that some of the suspects were arrested. We are not aware if ransom was paid.”

    Owoseni, who slept in the area, said he was driving around Ikorodu in his car when he got a telephone call that the girls were sighted at Imota.

    “They were rescued by the Imota police division. I carried the girls in my car and took them to the school to reunite them with their parents and loved ones. The girls are fine but we will not be exposing them to the media as a result of their age (14 years).

    “They have gone to shower and after that, their parents will be brought to brief you people,” he said.

    Owoseni said yesterday that investment in technology assisted the police to rescue the schoolgirls.

    “I want to say that what was employed in rescuing the girls is more of application of intelligence-led policing, using the platform of technology, partnering with members of the community and pressure on the kidnappers.

    “What we have done with other security agencies is that we also went for members of their families, including the mothers, the fathers, their children and, with that pressure, they found out that there was no way again for them to continue keeping the girls and that was what led to the success we recorded in rescuing the girls.”

    He said the police will continue investigations to round up other members of the gang.

    “The Governor has just mentioned that the state has the capacity to pursue any criminal who dares at all to come and disturb the peace or to commit crime in Lagos. I can assure you that we are all secured,” the police chief said.

    He said the girls were rescued at Imota but declined to disclose where the suspects were picked so as “not to jeopardise our investigation”.

    He confirmed that three suspects were arrested during the operation, adding that the girls were not molested by their abductors.

    “There are actually three suspects that we arrested. One was actively involved while the two others are conspirators who in one way or the other aided the kidnapping.

    “With respect to the state of the girls, they are very well, they are stable and immediate medical attention to test them has been administered to them by the police medical team and I can as well tell you that as we picked them up, one of the questions we asked the girls was whether they were molested in any way and the three of them stated unequivocally that they were not molested in any way.”

    Asked if ransom was paid to the kidnappers, Owoseni said: “When you talk about ransom in cases like this, you are glorifying kidnapping. We should not be talking about ransom anymore in this country because if you do, you are telling others that kidnapping is viable and you can be going and kidnapping people to collect money.”

    While the girls were in custody of abductors, the school kept giving information to parents. On Saturday, the school management, raised the hope that the girls would soon be back. In a message, it said: “Beloved, praise God. Thanks for your prayers and support. We are at conclusion of the issue. In few hours we shall rejoice. God is in control, we appreciate.”

    On Sunday, another message announced the resque of the girls. It said: “Praised God. All Glory be to God the Almighty and our father. All our students are back in school hail and hearty. Thank you very much for your support and prayers. God is faithfull. Thank you.”

  • ‘Edupreneur’ classes for 50 school owners

    Some 50 proprietors running low-cost private schools in Lagos will go through a training targeted at transforming them into smart entrepreneurs.

    The training tagged Edupreneur, is being run by the Covenant Keepers Business Network (CKBN).

    CKBN President, Mr Yinka Onibokun, said the school owners will spend six months from March 19, learning the business side to effectively run a school.

    He said: “Eduprenuer is an innovative incubation Educational Development programme that brings together selected school owners to learn the business aspect of school adminisration on designated days for six months.”

    They will learn about: Personal Financial Planning; building a business system; edupreneurial skills; registration and legal framework; developing a school plan; cash flow planning; and marketing and branding.

    Other modules include: building a school system; using technology to run 21st century schools; Conducting effective meetings, and managing growth workshop.

    Onibokun said on completing the training, the participants should have clear vision and mission statements, strategy, cashflow and accounting principles, school operation manuals, Human resources management and capacity required for their school as sustainable businesses.

  • Monarch urges govt to provide school, hospital

    Monarch urges govt to provide school, hospital

    The Oniba of Iba, His Royal Highness (HRH) Oba Goriola Oseni has appealed to Governor Ambode to establish public secondary school and hospital for residents of the community. The monarch made the appeal during his 40th coronation anniversary.

    Though he said his four decades on the throne were fraught with several challenges, Oba Oseni feels fulfilled.

    He regretted that one of his greatest challenges as a traditional ruler is the numerous litigations in which his throne was enmeshed and which affected the finances of the monarchy.

    Oba Oseni lamented the millions of Naira that lawyers took from him every year as legal fees in order to defend his community.

    This development, the monarch lamented, was due to what he called his predecessor’s lack of education; a situation that made him to enter into certain agreements which later became an albatross to his monarchy.

    “It’s good for people to be educated. If my predecessors were educated, I wouldn’t have been facing these challenges now. For instance, how can our customary tenant claim to be land owners? Do you expect me to fold my arms and watch? It might interest you to know that some of them wanted to install themselves as Oba in Awori land.

    “Many years back when I ascended the throne, lawyers could charge you N50, 000 or thereabout. But you get a case and approach a lawyer today, your bill runs into millions. I have won some of the cases and I believe God would assist me to win others,” he said.

    Looking back, the monarch is grateful to his Creator for helping him to weather the storm.

    “Unease lies the head that wears the crown! I faced a lot of problems but with the help of Almighty Father, I conquered everything. Some people who were installed as kings died after two or four years on the throne; but here we are today. If anybody had said I would still be alive, I would have doubted it,” he said.

    One of the monarch’s greatest achievements is the unprecedented development which the ancient town has experienced. The monarch recalled that Iba Kingdom is diametrically different from the ‘jungle’ it once was when he mounted the throne.

    “I’m happy about the development of Iba. In 1975 when I was called back home, one could not have access to this area. Who are you coming to meet in Iba apart from the indigenes and the isoko palm wine tappers that I met here when I came?

    “I was living in Ajegunle then. You had to enter the bus from Ajegunle, get off at Iyana-Oba and trek down here.

    “During the dry season, we would cut palm leaves and lay them on the ground; during rainy season, it was always terrible. But see the way things are now; various small-scale factories littering everywhere, hotels, private schools, LASU, our LCDA is also here.

    “When I celebrated my 35th year on the throne five years ago, I appealed to the state government to fix certain roads, and I’m grateful that ex-Governor Babatunde Fashola did very well, with the exception of Ijagemo and Ijododo. But I’m sure that by the grace of God, it will be done this time.

    On his regrets in the past 40 years, Oba Oseni said there were none.

    Everything he ever did was based on his conviction as he always consulted God before taking any action.

    He said: “I have nothing to regret since the beginning of my reign. In 1976 a year after I was installed as king, the followers of my fathers and my predecessors instituted a case against me. I was less than six months on the throne then, but some of the good works I did before I returned home, gave me lots of courage.

    “Somebody must be God-fearing and I believe in my God; that is why I still insist I have no regrets,” he said.

    Many of his contemporaries and subject understand Oba Oniba on his principled stance on issues. He is not the one to be easily tantalised with cash.

    On principles, Oba Oseni said: “I have principles. “Once I the Oniba of Iba, says ‘no’, everybody within my domain and beyond knows I will maintain that stance. You cannot convince me with money. I know I’m not rich but I can never be tempted with money to do things against my principle.”

    He noted that the immediate past chairman of the Iba LCDA had already acquired a parcel of land in the community for the proposed school.

    “Unfortunately, the Ojo Military Cantonment has acquired most of our lands. We are also contemplating a general hospital but where do we site it? So, we are appealing to government to cede a part of the land acquired by Fashola before he left office as governor so that we can build a hospital there.

     

  • School marks 60th anniversary

    St. Joseph’s College, Ondo, Ondo State, founded on March 19, 1956 by the De La Salle Brothers will celebrate her Diamond Jubilee between Wednesday, March 15 and Sunday, March 20.
    A statement by the Chairman, media, publicity and publication of the anniversary committee, Henry Akinyele listed events lined up for the celebration to include: anniversary lecture, health walk tagged: Let’s Walk to School, bonfire/variety night, award/dinner night, launching of N50,000,000 endowment fund and a thanksgiving service.
    The ceremony will be led by the Chairman Nobilitas Biodun Akinkoye while Governor Olusegun Mimiko, a 1970 alumnus, is the chief host.
    Expected at the occasion are members of the alumni association, current students, staff and friends of the school.

  • School pleads for fees at PTA meeting

    The Proprietor of Oloye Comprehensive College, Orile, HRH Oba Solomon Oloyede, has appealed to parents of its pupils to hasten up payment of their wards’ school fees.

    He urged them to stop using the poor economic climate as an excuse for defaulting. He said the school is also being affected by the economy.

    The plea was made during the school’s PTA meeting held recently at the school premises.

    During the meeting, the school management and the parents discussed the use of coloured cards as indicators of school fees payment status.

    The green cards would be borne students who had made full payment; the blue, will indicate half payment; while the yellow will indicate permission granted. Majority of parents agreed with the concept so it was adopted.  One of them, Mrs Hamzat Adeyinka, however urged the school to devise another means of collecting the fees instead of chasing the pupils home to avoid exposing them to cultism.

    Senior prefects of the school give their opinion during the meeting. While the Head Boy, Fatai Ibrahim disagreed with the card concept, the Head Girl, Olawale Oluwatobi endorsed it and urged the parents to pay their wards’ fees.

    Principal of the school, Mr Raymond Agboola urged parents to pay up because defaulters were causing delay in payment of salaries in the school.

    He also advised the parent to help with their wards’ education at home.

    “The school alone cannot do it; we need the parent support at home too,” he said.

    Oba Oloyede told the parents that the school would make progress if they paid on time. He promised to listen to their yearnings and make necessary changes. He also urged the parents to please enrol the pupils for NECO SSCE and Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).

  • Monarch appeals to Ambode for school, hospital

    Monarch appeals to Ambode for school, hospital

    The Oniba of Iba, His Royal Highness (HRH) Oba Goriola Oseni has appealed to Governor Ambode to establish a public secondary school and hospital for residents of the community. The monarch made the appeal during his 40th coronation anniversary.

    Though he said his four decades on the throne were fraught with several challenges, Oba Oseni feels fulfilled.

    He regretted that one of his greatest challenges as a traditional ruler is the numerous litigations in which his throne was enmeshed and which affected the finances of the monarchy.

    Oba Oseni lamented the millions of Naira that lawyers took from him every year as legal fees in order to defend his community.

    This development, the monarch lamented, was due to what he called his predecessor’s lack of education; a situation that made him to enter into certain agreements which later became an albatross to his monarchy.

    “It’s good for people to be educated. If my predecessors were educated, I wouldn’t have been facing these challenges now. For instance, how can our customary tenant claim to be land owners? Do you expect me to fold my arms and watch? It might interest you to know that some of them wanted to install themselves as Oba in Awori land.

    “Many years back when I ascended the throne, lawyers could charge you N50, 000 or thereabout. But you get a case and approach a lawyer today, your bill runs into millions. I have won some of the cases and I believe God would assist me to win others,” he said.

    Looking back, the monarch is grateful to his Creator for helping him to weather the storm.

    “Unease lies the head that wears the crown! I faced a lot of problems but with the help of Almighty Father, I conquered everything. Some people who were installed as kings died after two or four years on the throne; but here we are today. If anybody had said I would still be alive, I would have doubted it,” he said.

    One of the monarch’s greatest achievements is the unprecedented development which the ancient town has experienced. The monarch recalled that Iba Kingdom is diametrically different from the ‘jungle’ it once was when he mounted the throne.

    “I’m happy about the development of Iba. In 1975 when I was called back home, one could not have access to this area. Who are you coming to meet in Iba apart from the indigenes and the isoko palm wine tappers that I met here when I came?

    “I was living in Ajegunle then. You had to enter the bus from Ajegunle, get off at Iyana-Oba and trek down here.

    “During the dry season, we would cut palm leaves and lay them on the ground; during rainy season, it was always terrible. But see the way things are now; various small-scale factories littering everywhere, hotels, private schools, LASU, our LCDA is also here.

    “When I celebrated my 35th year on the throne five years ago, I appealed to the state government to fix certain roads, and I’m grateful that ex-Governor Babatunde Fashola did very well, with the exception of Ijagemo and Ijododo. But I’m sure that by the grace of God, it will be done this time.

    On his regrets in the past 40 years, Oba Oseni said there were none.

    Everything he ever did was based on his conviction as he always consulted God before taking any action.

    He said: “I have nothing to regret since the beginning of my reign. In 1976 a year after I was installed as king, the followers of my fathers and my predecessors instituted a case against me. I was less than six months on the throne then, but some of the good works I did before I returned home, gave me lots of courage.

    “Somebody must be God-fearing and I believe in my God; that is why I still insist I have no regrets,” he said.

    Many of his contemporaries and subject understand Oba Oniba on his principled stance on issues. He is not the one to be easily tantalised with cash.

    On principles, Oba Oseni said: “I have principles. “Once I the Oniba of Iba, says ‘no’, everybody within my domain and beyond knows I will maintain that stance. You cannot convince me with money. I know I’m not rich but I can never be tempted with money to do things against my principle.”

    He noted that the immediate past chairman of the Iba LCDA had already acquired a parcel of land in the community for the proposed school.

    “Unfortunately, the Ojo Military Cantonment has acquired most of our lands. We are also contemplating a general hospital but where do we site it? So, we are appealing to government to cede a part of the land acquired by Fashola before he left office as governor so that we can build a hospital there.

     

  • PTA surprises school with staff bus

    PTA surprises school with staff bus

    It was a pleasant surprise when Mind Builders School, Ikeja, took delivery of a bus donated by the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) dedicated to workers of the school.

    The 2015 Model 18-seater Toyota Hiace bus was presented by the outgoing chairman of the association, Mr. Dayo Akadiri after their general meeting.

    He said the bus was donated because the PTA had noted the hardship faced by some staff members  in getting to school on time due to the chaotic traffic in Ikeja and environs, especially during rush hour.

    He hoped that the bus would alleviate such hardship to a great extent.

    While receiving the bus, proprietress the school, Mrs Bola Falore, was full of commendations and appreciation to the outgoing executive of the association and all the parents for the kind gesture and promised to utilise the bus for the purpose it was bought.

    The workers were also full of appreciation and could not hide their feelings at the sight of the new bus.