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Tag: school

  • Private school owners support September 22 resumption

    Private school owners support September 22 resumption

    •Query Ogun, Oyo, Ekiti, Osun for postponement

    The National Association of Private School Proprietors (NAPPS), Southwest chapter, has said primary and secondary schools in Lagos and Ondo states are free to resume today.

    It hailed Governors Babatunde Fashola and Olusegun Mimiko for being proactive in stopping the spread of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).

    At its zonal meeting in Ibadan at the weekend, NAPPS berated Oyo, Osun, Ogun, and Ekiti states for postponing the resumption date till October 6 and 8.

    A statement by NAPPS President, Southwest, Alhaja Alimi Basirat and Chairman, Lagos State branch, Chief Yomi Otubela, queried the postponement.

    They said while Oyo, Osun and Ekiti were categorical on the October 6 resumption date, Ogun NAPPS, which was absent at the meeting, did not send information on the resumption date.

    Otubela urged Governor Fashola to extend the preventive measures put in place in public schools to private schools.

  • Rotary donates ICT centre to school

    To engender skills acquisition in Information Communication Technology (ICT), the Rotary Club of Omole Golden, has donated a fully equipped ICT laboratory centre to Oke-Ira Senior Secondary School in Ogba, Lagos.

    The inuaguration of the project was performed by the Deputy Director of Basic Studies in the Lagos State Ministry of Education, Mr Abiodun Oni, who represented the Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Olayinka Oladunjoye.

    Oni said: “I want to thank members of this great club not only for the gesture, but for being good partners in the development of education in Lagos State. I also want to urge the school management not to disallow pupils from making use of the facilities provided, but ensure it is put to good use.”

    The President of the club, Mr. Chris Alabi, explained that Rotary would sustain the facility for one year before handing it over to the state for further maintenance.

    “We have spent part of our limited resources to set up this facility and we believe that it will be put to proper use in empowering pupils and teachers with ICT skills. In addition, we will maintain the center for one year including the internet facility after which it would be handed over to the Lagos State Ministry of Education for its further sustenance,” he said.

    Earlier, an induction exercise for new members of the club was performed by the District Governor of Rotary (District 9110), Dr. Dele Balogun, who lauded members of the club for donating the centre.  Balogun urged new members to imbibe the four-way test of Rotary Club in the development of the larger society.

    The high point of the event was formal presentation of certificates to some teachers in the state public schools recently sponsored on a training programme by the club.  Other members were also honoured with awards for their financial assistance to the club in carrying out some of its charity projects.

    The chairman of the Parents’ Forum, Prince Adebola Adeniji-Adele, promised to “work in concert with the authorities of the school to protect the facility and ensure proper utilisation of equipment towards promotion of skills and pupils’ development.”

  • Community gives generator to school

    The Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, has received a donation of a 350KVA power generator from indigenes of Ikole Local Government Area of Ekiti State.

    The gesture, which was from a group, the Ikole University Development Forum, was meant for the school’s Faculty of Engineering. The group’s membership cuts across 23 communities that make up the local government.

    Speaking at the university’s Faculty of Engineering, venue of the presentation, Chairman of the group’s Fund Raising Implementation Committee, Otunba Ben Oguntuase, said the gesture was aimed at complimenting the school’s efforts at securing accreditation for the faculty.

    Otunba Oguntuase said the forum’s choice of power generator arose during one of the interfaces between the forum and the university management.

    A member of the forum, Emeritus Prof Peter Adeniyi, said the nine-member Fund Raising Implementation Committee worked for over eight months to mobilise funds to get the generator.

    He said as at last July 31, about N10,215,290 had been realised. This, he considered, was quite distant from the expected 185 million target.

    According to him, prior to the visit of the university’s Accreditation Visitation panel, the Fund Raising Committee met with representatives of the university on how best to support it in readiness for the visitation. “It was agreed that a generator would be ideal, hence the choice of a power-generating set,” he said.

    While thanking all who contributed to the project, Prof Adeniyi implored those yet to align with the vision to hasten their contributions. He reminded them that the university campus at Ikole is a major socio-economic project that will have significant impact on the fortunes of their communities.

    He said all over the world communities have risen to support academic institutions by way of endowments and contributing towards their developments.

    The paramount ruler of the Ikole Kingdom, Oba Ajibade A. Fasiku,  expressed delight that the contributions yielded results, pledging his community’s readiness to support the university.

    The school’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof Isaac Uzoma Asuzu, said he was impressed with the level of interest Ikole community has shown towards the development of the university. He applauded the peaceful environment created by the community for staff and students of the university, expressing optimism that the Engineering Faculty would receive the nod of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria – COREN.

    He said: “The challenge now is to prepare for the accreditation proper from both the National Universities Commission (NUC), and COREN next year. The Faculty of Engineering needed N1.8billion to equip the 40 engineering laboratories and workshops.”

    The vice chancellor pledged his team readiness to work in making the institution one of the best in the country.

  • School sponsors students on exchange programme to Singapore

    Grace High School Lagos, has sponsored her pupils on exchange programme to Singapore.

    The move, according to the School Administrator, Mrs. Tokunbo Edun, is in furtherance to the school’s commitment of turning out well groomed pupils, who would make meaningful contribution to the advancement of the country and the society at the large.

    Edun said the school believes that only well groomed pupils, who understand the dynamics of the modern world, can make impact in the society.

    Accordingly, she said the school has taken it upon itself to ensure that her products are well exposed in line with global best practices.

    Speaking on arrival with the students after a two-week trip to Singapore, Edun said: “Our pupils can only achieve much if they interact with the best from other climes. At Grace High School, we understand that the world is now a global village. Therefore, we prepare them to have a global outlook, which is one of the reasons for our international exchange programme with top schools across the globe.”

    She continued: “We were in Singapore because this is a country, which at a time was on the same level of development with Nigeria, but has since made giant strides that has placed her in the league of developed nations of the world. “Our thinking for this exchange programme with a top school in Singapore is that our pupils can learn from the pragmatic educational system that has produced best brains that turned around the fortunes of Singapore from developing to a developed nation. Our belief is that if Nigeria must attain her lofty vision of joining  the league of developed economies in the nearest future, then her young minds must not be push overs.”

  • Back-to-school: Boom time for traders

    Back-to-school: Boom time for traders

    With a new academic session just a week away, shopping for new school items has reached a frenzy. And it is boom time for traders in the second hand (tokunbo) market, notwithstanding the health problem in the country. TONIA ‘DIYAN writes.

    Though the health threat occasioned by the devastating effect of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), may have increased, activities in major Lagos markets have not been put on hold. And as school resumption approaches, traders and shoppers of back-to-school items are seen going about their normal economic activities.

    In spite of the dreaded EVD that has become a major concern to all, major markets in Lagos, including the popular Akube market (a general name for used items markets), are buzzing. Patronage in these markets has   increased, no thanks to the school resumption date barely a week away, as parents are scrambling to purchase back-to-school items for their children and wards.

    A visit to Kantagua, Aswani, Oshodi as well as the popular Balogun Markets, all in Lagos, lends credence to this, as people streamed through the labyrinthine markets to buy their desired items. This has been the trend since a fortnight. Indeed, parents, especially those who cannot afford to buy from stores or malls, have found succor in the Akube markets, which they have been used to for many years.

    On a visit to some of the markets, The Nation Shopping met with Adaeze, a mother of three, who was at Balogun Market to shop for school items for her last child, Ikechukwu. On her shopping list were four main items- a pair of school shoes, bag, launch packs and grocery. “Sister, sister!” the vendors, who were mostly women of her age, called out to her in a bid to have her patronise them, lifting up school wares such as bags and shoes, to catch her attention.

    After what appeared like a 10-minute dodged course, narrowly missing vendors, porters and motorcycles, and squeezing through crowds and leaping over drainage, Adaeze made it to the narrow alley, where she was surrounded by beautiful and colourful back-to-school items. Picking through thousands of multi-coloured back packs and lunch packs was a big task; so, she deployed a strategy of choosing by colours, patterns and prices. Next task was the haggling over prices. “One can’t be too greedy when trying to purchase beautiful school items for kids,” she said to herself.

    Covered in beads of sweat, Adaeze continued her shopping spree as she found her way to the Oke-Arin Market, home to grocery items Oke-Arin market is like a roadside mall- a market with the freshest vegetables, fruits, livestock and starches. In addition to organic items, provisions like canned milk, sugar and cereal could also be purchased here in bulk for boarding students. After about two hours at Oke Arin, Adaeze left with carton of biscuits, cans of beverages and pack of cereals, amongst others, for Ikechukwu, her 12-year-old boy in JSS 3.

    With two items down and two more to go on the list, fatigue set in and Adaeze’s endurance to continue the shopping mission wore thin. She had already trekked miles through maze of vendors at both Balogun and Oke Arin Markets.

    Ordinarily, one would think sellers of back-to-school items should pace around their stalls and shops, particularly those who sell in the open traditional market, focusing on the road as if they are expecting an important visitor. The reason is that sales, which usually pick up at this time yearly, have been cut below half, since the outbreak of Ebola in the country.

    For Rita Eze, who sells school bags and shoes, told The Nation Shopping that she had found a way of tackling the problem before the reversal of resumption date. “If I wanted to buy 200 pieces of items to resell after the summer break, I had to reduce it to 100 items  because I assumed that five customers, out of 10, would still hold on to be sure of when schools would re-open before shopping,” Eze explained. This is unlike some others who started buying school supplies the first week of the holiday. The back-to-school season is the second largest sales period for retailers and it offers a spate of new designs and a firm reason for parents to head for stores with their wards.

    Due to the large number of children returning to schools after a two-month holiday, some retailers claimed this is the peak sales period for them and that if resumption date wasn’t recalled, it would have been disastrous.

    In a chat with The Nation Shopping, Omolara Akanni, a trader in Katangua, said the school resumption has boosted her sales more and she smiles home regularly, making good returns from hawking pencils, ‘biros’, erasers and other school items in the market.

    However, in a world where many children are struggling with academic overloads and growing demands on their time, parents are expected to provide them with the materials to ease their learning.

    Parents are making the best use of this last week to shop for their children’s needs. This is the period parents’ flood shops dealing in school items to buy their children’s needs for the new session.

    Adaeze advises that for prudent management of available funds, parents should have a list of everything that their wards need and work through it. Sharing these needs into two sections, she explained, is a wise decision. “One part for those items to be purchased once in a session and the second part should be for items that will be replenished during the school year. The list will ensure that one does not overshoot one’s budget. It is also proper for school supplies to be bought before resumption and with the child’s consent. And like everything else, school items have fashion trend and children are often disappointed when latest designs are sold out before their parents get to the market or when their sizes are not found,” she admonished.

     

  • Mystery school springs up at Ibadan’s ‘evil’ forest

    Mystery school springs up at Ibadan’s ‘evil’ forest

    Few months  after  the frightening discovery of several decomposed  bodies and dozens of human parts in a forest at Soka  in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, a public school is being built on the site but nobody seems to know by who.  OSEHE YE OKWUOFU reports that little progress has been made on the forensic investigation ordered by the state government.

    IT was dubbed ‘Ibadan Forest of Horror’ by the media after the world woke up to the discovery of decomposing human bodies and rescue of some persons who had been kept in captivity for a long time. The discovery was greeted with rage and bewilderment, but shortly after, the noise died down and the city of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital on whose outskirt the forest is located, has since put the saga behind.

    Today, the ‘Forest of Horror’ is being turned to a public school by the government as a massive school thought to be one of several  Federal Government Model Colleges being built across the country, is being constructed at a speedy rate on a large piece of the former forest.

    But many still live with horror and the fear of Soka forest will continue to hunt the people for many years to come.

    Residents of the area who bared their minds said the thought will continue to remain very fresh in their memory as they still find it difficult to forget the rude shock and nightmare they suffered as a result.

    The victims , who were rescued from the forest and taken to the state hospital, Yemetu, Adeoyo, Ibadan,  it was learnt, were given adequate medical attention and have since been re-united with their relatives.

    A medical personnel at the hospital, who would not want her name mentioned in print, said a few of the victims suffered from mental disorder and have been referred to the psychiatric hospital for further medical care.

    Meanwhile the Oyo state police command is yet to make any significant headway on the investigation to bring to book the culprits behind the killings at Soka forest.

    Head of the investigation team, Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigative Department (SCID), Mr Dasuki, told The Nation that all efforts to track down the principal suspect, simply identified as Alhaji Gbadegesin, has not yielded fruit .

    The police, he said, in its investigation, was also making effort to arrest owners of the abandoned factories being used by the suspects to commit the crime but none has shown up despite the intense search for them.

    Mr Dasuki had referred to the team of forensic experts as a basis and beacon of hope for tracking down the culprits, but as at last week nothing has been made available to the police to assist in its effort to arrest the suspects.

    The Chief Pathologist, Dr Eze Uwom, who led a team of scientists from the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan to the site where many people were believed to have been chained and killed by their captors, described the exercise as very disappointing and frustrating .

    Since the team was engaged by the state government to conduct forensic analysis that would lead to the roots of the deaths of many Nigerians at the forest, nothing significant has been achieved.

    The Chief Pathologist explained that his team has not gone beyond the initial stage of its analysis since the exercise has been stopped due to lack of support and logistics.

    He said: “The only thing I have to tell you is that we are at the level of forensic recovery. We can only proceed at this stage if we have the needed logistics. So, we have not left the initial stage. We are still at the very initial stage. This investigation requires resources and manpower.

    “But I have come to realise that the authorities have not shown the will to pursue this case. It is not because of lack of expertise that we cannot move beyond this stage. The problem is that until we turn the heat on those we put in the position of authority, we are not going to get anywhere. We do forensic with full support from the authorities with the appropriate materials and resources. We did the Dana Air crash in Lagos. I led the team and everyone was there working with all our clothes melting on our bodies.

    “We got full support from the Lagos State Government and we are working closely with the authorities. Logistics was not a problem. Maybe it is because its Soka, the people involved were nobody.  “

    Speaking further on the Soka saga, Uwom said during the period his team was on site for data collection, he was not aware of any support from the authorities, and if there was, he said it was definitely not for his team.

    “Well, as to your question regarding the report of the forensic analysis, the answer you are seeking is not available because this has not moved from the rudiment stage,” he stated.

    While police said they are not relenting in their resolve to fish out the suspects behind the Soka killings, the faceless owners of the abandoned buildings have filed legal action against the government over the demolition of the buildings and construction of model secondary school on the plots of land situated at the notorious forest.

    The Assistant Commissioner Police who confirmed the suit said a copy of the legal action was also served on him. He however expressed delight on the decision of the government to use the plots for school.

    “At least, this will send away those criminals who hide under the situation of the area to commit crime, “ he said.

    The legal action, he added will also open the way for owners of the structures to come forward, having gone into hiding since the discovery of the Soka killings.

    The area  where many lives were lost is now wearing a new look with economic activities springing up. When The Nation visited the site, construction workers and food sellers were seen working hard to see the school project completed. Building materials suppliers were also adding to the buzz on the site.

    However, there are conflicting reports over the ownership of the said model secondary school. While the Chairman, Caretaker Committee, Oluyole Local Government, Mr Ayodeji Abass-Aleshinloye, said the school was being constructed by the state government, The Nation learnt that it could be a Federal Government Girls Model college.

    While speaking on the construction of new blocks of classrooms, the council boss hinted that the citing of the school at the location was strategic by the government.

    The decision of the government, he added was aimed at bringing development to the area and make it a no hiding place for criminals who see the abandoned buildings and plots of land as a cover to commit heinous crime.

    “We are thankful to the state government for donating the school to the local government, to bring more development to the area”, he said.

    But the state Commissioner for Education, Professor Solomon Olaniyonu said he was not aware of the donation of the school to the local government.

    “As the Commissioner in charge of Education, I am not aware of the model school being cited at Soka area” , he added.

    When The Nation visited the Ibadan office of the Federal Ministry of Education, the officers could not give useful information as they said that their boss who could confirm the ownership of the school was not around.

    When speaking on the model school, a resident of the area, Mr Adesokan Smith lauded the effort of the government for taking decisive step to clear the area of nefarious activities.

    “This is something all of us living in Soka and Macmillan have been praying for over the years because this forest has been harbouring these criminals for over ten years now. There was a time the landlords wrote to the Commissioner for Environment, Mr Mukaila Aborode, during Alao-Akala’s regime complaining about these evil men and we called on the government to clear this area but nothing happened. Now that the government has brought this school, our people can now sleep with our two eyes closed”.

  • Airtel revisits school, two years after

    Like a father longing for the protection of his son who lives faraway, telecoms giant, Airtel Nigeria, has revisited St John’s Primary School, Ijebu-Igbo, Ogun State.

    The visit was to know the school has mainatained some of the facilities Airtel provided two years ago, while  looking at ways for further improvement.

    St John’s Primary School came under Airtel’s Adopt-A-School initiative four years ago, in the wake of many challenges that have been the lot of the school prior to its adoption. The school then had had to battle with lack of drinkable water, poor facilities, and poor learning environment and writing materials, among others.

    Airtel promptly intervened and provided the school with a block of four classroom and two offices along with pieces of furniture.

    On Thursday last week, workers in the school and members of the community were in a happy mood to reunite with their benefactor.

    The school’s Assistant Head teacher, Mrs Olayemisi Tayo Oseni told recalled to our reporter the sorry state of the school few years ago. She recalled how their condition degenerated to the extent that owing to scarcity of water, both workers and pupils used to take sachet water with them to the ramshackle toilet anytime they were pressed.

    “Pupils were in charge of getting water to clean the toilet whenever it is messy; but it wasn’t the best for them because it was the same time they ought to have spent in class that they wasted while searching for water.

    “I will never forget the day we came to the school and found out that the ‘area boys’ (social miscreants) had messed up the school. This is possible because the school is not fenced round,” she recalled.

    For the Education Secretary, Ijebu North local government education authority (LGEA), Mrs Balogun Misturat, academic performance of the pupils has increased upon Airtel’s intervention.

    She said five classrooms were jumbled into one hall before Airtel assisted the school in partitioning the class, complementing the gesture with dual desks and chairs, fans and electricity.

    The community leader, Olu Azeez told The Nation, that the population of the school now keeps bulging as schoolchildren from other communities now want to be enrolled at St John’s.

    On his part, the head teacher of the school, Mr Adewale Azeez Oladela, also corroborated the community leader.

    “We used to force parents of these children to give them the necessary materials to school. Most of the parents are peasant farmers who barely live from hand to mouth. With Airtel’s provision, most of the children are always in school.”

  • Foundation donates lavatory block to school

    Foundation donates lavatory block to school

    Touched by the unsavoury sanitary conditions which pupils and teachers of Eziama Community Primary School in Aba North Local Government Area of Abia State are experiencing, members of Inner Heart PZ Employees Foundation, a staff welfare association of PZ Cussons, have built and handed over a four-room toilet facility to the school management.

    They also handed over the sum of N390, 000 cheque to Mr. Chika Kalu Sampson, a staff of the establishment for the treatment of his four-year-old daughter, Princess Chika Kalu who has a hole in the heart.

    The inauguration and handing over of the toilet facility which attracted the presence of some senior managers of the company such as the External Affairs Manager, Mohammed Tahir; Operations Manager, Emma Ofordu as well as representatives of the host community and the chairman of the Aba North Local Government Area, among others, made both pupils and teachers jubilate in appreciation of the gesture.

    Speaking during the inauguration of the toilet facility, the Manager, Corporate Affairs and Administration Director, PZ Cussons Nigeria, Mrs. Yomi Ifaturoti, said the project was realised through contributions from salaries of members of staff.

    Ifaturoti further revealed that the Inner Heart Foundation was conceptualised by the Corporate Affairs Department of the company that felt that there was a need for workers to do things by themselves than waiting for the management or government to do things for them.

    She said: “It is important for us to know that the project we are inaugurating today was built from the pocket of PZ employees. It is not easy for workers to generate N650, 000 to carry out this project for our own community. We are impressed with what the Inner Heart PZ Employees Foundation, Aba has done.  “There are different departments in the company doing various projects for communities around the country. There is a need for us to continue to do good things for our communities and neighbours because we must always look towards doing things for the people.”

    Urging private organisations’ participation in the development of their host communities or state, she added: “Don’t forget that if we didn’t carry out this project, or if we had depended on the government, it may never have been done.”

    Also speaking, Head of Manufacturing, PZ Cussons, Aba, Mr. Ifeanyi Abadom, said the Inner Heart PZ Foundation would continue to offer support to its neighbours, especially to enable them to be useful citizens in the society. He added that the foundation would not hesitate to help mold the future of our school children to the best of its ability.

    Earlier in her address, the Headmistress of the school, Mrs. Evelyn Iroha, who expressed gratitude to the Inner Heart PZ Foundation for coming to the aid of the school, promised that the facility would be well maintained.

    Chairman, PZ Cussons Staff Union, Prince Nwaeze Dimkpa, thanked the management and workers of the company as well as the host community for the support.

    “We all contributed to make this project a success; the management, staff, school and host community. I specially thank the people of Eziama because there are many communities where this project cannot be carried out without them asking for a percentage of funds to be paid before work could begin.”

    Hon. Nnanna Oriba, who represented the Chairman of Transition Committee, Aba North Local Government at the event, expressed his happiness to the employees’ for their generosity. He enjoined the school to make good use of the facility.

    “I felt sad when I learnt that the project was not done with money from the company but from the purses of its staff. This is why I rendered the song; give and it shall be given unto you. This is highly commendable. You have shown love to these school children; you can see from their faces that they have already blessed you.

    “As far as they have said it, God has also blessed you all. I am going to let the chairman know that we have to work with you because you have good things to offer to humanity,” he said.

    Earlier, a cheque for N290, 000 was handed over to Mr. Chika Kalu Sampson by the Inner Heart Foundation whose daughter, Princess has a hole in the heart and needed about N2 million for surgery in an Indian hospital.

    Ifaturoti also made a personal donation of a N100, 000 in support of Princess Chika’s treatment.

    “We presented the cheque to him as a symbol of solidarity. We offer our prayers and goodwill for her well-being,” she said.

    Mr. Samson expressed gratitude to the foundation for its support. He said the donation will go a long way in complementing the amount of money he has for her daughter’s surgery in India which costs N1.6 million.

  • ‘What I learnt from Imoke’s leadership ‘school’

    ‘What I learnt from Imoke’s leadership ‘school’

    Patrick Ugbe, one-time Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to Governor Liyel Imoke and later Information Commissioner is currently the Cross River State Commissioner for Youths and Sports. In this interview with some reporters, Ugbe speaks on the leadership style of the governor, the forthcoming National Sports Festival and sundry issues. Excerpts:

    You started off as Chief Press Secretary to the governor and later morphed into Commissioner for Information and then Commissioner for Youths and Sports. How were these transformations like?

    Basically, there are more or less, one and the same because they all entail building the image of the state, that of His Excellency. It is also about communication with the publics – internal and external public. It is about taking the activities of the government, the programmes and achievements of the government to the people. And for that, I think there is a very thin line that divides that. The only difference is that you sit as a head of the policy maker in the ministry whereas the other one you are always there with His Excellency. But I must say that the experience has been quite humbling. There is nothing that gives greater joy than to be in the service of your people and to be of service to people. For someone like me, I don’t think I can derive greater joy from any services than the service to the people. I have enjoyed every beat of it even as challenging as it has been. I give God the glory. I thank most especially His Excellency who gave me the opportunity. It is a rare privilege. He gave me that opportunity to serve the people and believe that whenever this tour of duty ends, the people themselves would look back and say here is the man who served his people diligently.

    How did you take it, as you said, before you became a commissioner, you were not involved in policy formulations. From Chief Press Secretary, you were on the rise: what where the expectations?

    The expectation for me, in any assignment, is always to ensure that I give my best and to ensure that I succeed. We all read Things Fall Apart and we know the major problem Okonkwo had: Fear of failure. And I think some of us had that fear of failure. We don’t want to be seen to fail in any assignment we are given. So, I will burn the night, work for 24 hours to ensure that I achieve success. That is my driving principle in life. So, when that step up came for me, I don’t think it was that which I should find difficult to manage. It was still within my area of focus. Besides, it is all about administration. It is all about management. I came from the private sector where I have gone through several experiences and had to run a private business from the scratch and built it to a reputable level in the industry. So, I was coming from that background and experience and did not think the management of human and material resources would pose any problem to me. Again, the way we function in Cross Rivers State, you would know that we work as a team. Nobody works as an island in Cross River State. Even as Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, I was involved in the overall information management of the state.

    Coming from the private sector where things are done to strict specifications and all that, do you feel like fish inside the water suddenly finding yourself again, in the public service because the two are far apart from each other?

    In a way, they are not far from each other. It is the experiences you have had that you bring to bear in whatever assignment you are given. In this case, I ran my affairs in a very professional manner. And everyone who had had an encounter with me, who had had to deal with me, will tell you that I deal with them in a very professional manner. Yes you would say there is bureaucracy in government, but there is a way you can walk around that bureaucracy and make things work.

    Moving from information to sports, you cannot say that things are still the same – different programmes, policies, ideas, personnel. And it came at a time when the state was bidding to host the national sports festival. What were the fears? What did you find strange or different?

    I would not say that I found anything strange or different. Let me say that they are both equally challenging, with different types of challenges. However, it is paramount to note that the principles of management are the same. So, what stands you out is your passion to perform. And in this case, it is all about the passion for success. I have always been very passionate about sports. As a broadcaster, I did virtually everything. I reported business, entertainment, sports. Somewhere along the line, I knew I had to specialize and I focused on one – sports. So, I knew virtually everything about sports. And like I said, the principles of management are the same, it is how you apply it that matters. So, moving from information to sports was not that strange to me. The state had already won the hosting right for the 19th National Sports Festival before I was appointed the commissioner for sports. All I had to do was to prepare the blue prints for the successful hosting of the festival. The state already had a comprehensive sports development plan before I came. All I had to do was to build on that programme and ensure its success. So, it was not really strange to me.

    What would you be remembered for as commissioner for Youths and Sports?

    What I think I would want to be remembered for is the fact that we tried to make Cross River State a destination for sport in Nigeria. Before I came onboard, not so many people in the country would refer to Cross River State as a destination for sports. But when I assumed responsibility as the Commissioner for Youths and Sports, I keyed into the overall vision of the State Government, its tourism vision. I have always said that sports is the number one tourism drive in the world. The most recent examples are there. Look at what happened in Brazil with the hosting of the World Cup. Millions of visitors were in Brazil and left with lasting memories of that visit and would return there again. Look at what happened at the Common Wealth Game in Glasgow. A great number of people visited and would return because of the great memory they had. If you look at these, you would see that sports is the number one driver of tourism in the world. And I built on that to see how I could bring to the state so many sporting events. We have been able to do that. We had swimming, it is known all over that the home of the Super Eagles is Calabar. They are relaxed when they are in Calabar and so they don’t play with tension. We have had athletics here also. And now, we are preparing for the National Sports Festival which is like the mother of all. So, at the end of it all, we would have achieved in making Cross River State a destination for sporting excellence. And I would be happy if am remembered for that.

    Would the National Sports Festival be considered as the high point of your tenure as Commissioner for Sports?

    Yes, because the festival, as I do tell people, is our own Olympic Games. There is no other event bigger than the Olympic Games in the world. And being privileged to be the one at the saddle here in the state when we are hosting it, I think that would be the highpoint for me and God willing, I would ensure that with all the resources available, we would ensure a successful event.

    I recall sometimes ago, His Excellency spoke well of you when you were moved to be the Commissioner for Youths and Sports, despite some people’s initial doubt about your ability to perform, how did that go down with you?

    I was really touched and humbled. It is humbling when such comments come from your boss. I give God the glory because I have never failed in any assignment given to me. I give His Excellency the credit for his foresight and his ability to spot talents. He can see through and know that this man would be able to deliver. And that was why he decided to move me to the Ministry of Youths and Sports. He might have moved me knowing well that there is a job to be done and needed that job to be done. And I am very happy that I did not disappoint him.

    I remember quite well when we were before the House of Assembly, before confirmation, a day before the swearing in, someone made a comment and called me Patrick Ugbe the Commissioner for Information, I said no, am not going to be the commissioner for information but a commissioner in a different environment this time. The person doubted me, wondering where else a commissioner for information can function. I told him that His Excellency would shock them all. It was as if I already had fore knowledge of where I was going but deep in my mine, I wanted to go to Sports because I felt that something needed to be done there and that I had the capacity to do it. And I thank God it went according to the will of His Excellency. For youths, I had this feeling when I stepped in, because my father was the first Director of Sports in the modern Cross River. He worked in Youths all his life and retired there. So, me being sent back there, was the Hand of God.

    A lot of people have said that His Excellency is one man that retained all his commissioners and political appointees so far, how would you assess such a consistent leader. Was it because of continuity? What can you say on this?

    What I can say is that, he is a great leader. He is a statesman. There are very few people like him who see leadership the way he sees it, who see governance the way he sees it. One thing we should understand is that there is government, whether it is Donald Duke, Liyel Imoke or anyone else. And there is Cross River State. The actors can come and go but the government is government which means that a man who came before you, would lay his own blocks, the man who comes after would build on those blocks, because we are all building, serving the people. We are not serving ourselves. And in doing that, you must understand that the people you have appointed to serve go through processes – the processes of orientation, getting to understand what service is all about – before work begins. A sensible leader is one who allows that because we gain from experience. You might have had a background in management but the practical is through experience. A great leader should not change the experienced and winning team for a new team, that would have to learn all over again in service delivery to the people. But that does not mean that if you find the ones that are not performing, you won’t pull them out and bring in fresh hands that would add value to what you are doing. So, for me, he is a great leader who understands the art of governance, leadership. He has seen it all. He is one man who has been in the legislature, in the executive and in the private sector. He understands administrations, he understands leadership, he understands governance perfectly well. Whatever he is doing, he is doing it in the best interest of the administration and the people.

    If you look at Imoke’s cabinet, it is made up of future generation. Is this in accordance with what he has always espoused, his new generation philosophy?

    Let me start by saying that he has never overlooked the older generation. He believed in the admixture of all ages. The experiences of our older colleagues matter a lot and when the old and young come together, you would have a perfect mix that brings success and progress to the state and the nation as a whole. Nevertheless, he is one person who believes in generational change. And if you notice what he is doing with his foundation, he is developing leaders for tomorrow. He believes that the young people he has in his cabinet are developing so that when his own generation leaves the stage, the state, and which is the model that should be copied for the country, would be left in good hands to ensure continuity. So, yes, it is his philosophy to generate future leaders for the state and the country.

    People have always described Governor Loyel Imoke as calm, cool and collected. What is your assertion?

    Just as he is, he is always cool, calm and collected. I have never seen him ruffled, which is why I describe him as cool, calm and collected. There are several instances to buttress this description. I would mention one: In working with him, with all the travels, you find yourself in several instances of turbulence in the air, when you see people disturbed, he is never ruffled or disturbed.

  • School may affect Alampasu’s Genk deal

    School may affect Alampasu’s Genk deal

    Nigeria U20 goalkeeper Dele Alampasu has said his quest to return to school may mean a reduced offer by Belgian club Genk.

    Alampasu has been on a second round of trials at Genk and sources close to the Lagos-born shot stopper have now informed AfricanFootball.com that Genk may well offer a reduced offer because of his insistence to combine football with his schooling.

    “Alampasu may be given a reduced deal by Genk because he has insisted he wishes to combine school with football and the Belgian club maintain they want him to be a full-time professional,” a source told AfricanFootball.com.

    Alampasu’s first spell on trials with Genk was prematurely ended after a knee injury in training which required surgery.

    The tall shot stopper was the best goalkeeper at last year’s U17 World Cup in UAE and was also on the squad to the 2014 CHAN in South Africa.