The Nation Newspaper

Tag: success

  • Oshinawa tipped for success in Israel

    Oshinawa tipped for success in Israel

    Super Eagles defender, Juwon Oshaniwa, has been backed by Imama Amapakabo, his coach at former club, Sharks, to be a major hit in Israel.

    Oshaniwa joined Ligat ha’Al side MS Ashdod after three seasons with the Port Harcourt team and Amapakabo reckons he would go on to achieve greater things.

    Amapakabo told supersport.com: “It is not a surprise that he has taken his career to the next level because not only was he one of our top players, but he was quite dedicated and has the right mentality to make progress in the game.

    “He was a key player while he was with us because of his versatility as he could also play on the left side of attack, where he made good runs and he also shoots very well.

    “It helped us a lot since we could play him in front of Chidiebere Okolie sometimes, and their combination was quite good.

    “He has the qualities to play abroad and he told me it was a good deal, so I’m just happy for him.”

    When reminded that Oshinawa has struggled at international level, Amapakabo said it had more to do with the Super Eagles tactics.

    “I watched the game against Namibia in Calabar, after which I spoke to him and some other players and I think the problem was more of a tactical one, therefore it would be unfair to question his ability,” he reasoned.

    He added: “I don’t think Taye Taiwo or Elderson Echiejile, who are the established left backs, are technically better than him, and Nigerians would come to appreciate his game better with time.”

    It would be recalled that Ashdod signed the 21-year-old Oshaniwa about two weeks ago without giving him trials and he made his debut in the 2-1 defeat of Beitar Jerusalem on September 13.

    Ashdod are 2nd in the Israeli league, behind Vincent Enyeama’s Maccabi Tel Aviv on goal difference after four rounds of matches.

  • Measuring success

    •2012 WASSCE results may have been better; there is no cause for celebration yet
    The results of the May/June 2012 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) released by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) have turned out to be a departure from the disturbing downward trend in the performance of the candidates. This year’s results, the best in three years, showed that 649,156 candidates representing 38.81 per cent of the total candidates that sat for the examination obtained credits in five subjects and above, including English Language and Mathematics. Comparatively, these statistics represent an 8.9 per cent increase above last year’s performance, where 30.91 per cent made the same grades, and in 2010 where 23.71 per cent of the candidates met the standard. The Head of the Nigeria National Office of WAEC, Dr Iyi Nwadie, said the improved results this year marked a positive development, even as cases of examination malpractices reportedly declined compared with previous years.
    Considering the pervasive concern about educational standards in the country, the latest WASSCE results have brought a ray of hope. For some time now, there has been a huge public controversy over whether educational standards were falling or not, and the WASSCE results have certainly not been encouraging. The cheering news of improved performance in this important school-leaving examination, however, raises some questions which the released statistics failed to address. How well can it be established that the successful candidates indeed passed on merit? What about the geographical spread of these candidates? What about their institutional distribution? How many of these success stories were products of private or public schools?
    Amid the debate over academic standards, there has been a noticeable upsurge in the development of private sector-driven educational institutions, many of which are well funded and possess the necessary human resources and infrastructure. On the other hand, the public schools have been battling with an image problem arising from poor funding as well as inadequate staffing and infrastructure. In the public imagination, this situation has given private schools a comparative advantage over their state-funded counterparts, which may well be a factor in the released WASSCE results.
    However, it is commendable that against the background of challenged educational standards in public schools across the country, some state governments are actually focused on addressing the problems and creating an enabling environment in which public schools can thrive and satisfy the expectations of Nigerians. In Rivers, Lagos, Akwa Ibom, Delta and Edo states, to mention a few states, the people are witnesses to the transformative activities of the various governments in the education sector and the considerable investments they are making to uplift their public schools. Good governance in these pace-setting states gives a welcome priority to the development of the schools funded with public money. But it is not clear whether the WASSCE results reflect the changing pattern of educational investment in these states. It is more likely, though, that the fruits of the improved outlay on education in these states would need more time before the harvest. Even so, the importance of qualitative education at all levels for the progress of the country cannot be overemphasized, and there is no doubt that greater attention should be paid to the education of Nigerians.
    Although the latest WASSCE results show an improvement over those of the previous two years, it would be truly premature to celebrate the achievement as a reversal of the downward trend. The progress needs to be sustained, and greater levels of success recorded, so that this year’s results do not turn out to be a one-off. It should be pointed out that the percentage of successful candidates is well below 50 per cent, which, frankly, is not good enough.