The Nation Newspaper

Tag: tertiary institutions

  • Ekiti tertiary institutions’ workers reject ‘oppressive tax’

    Workers in tertiary institutions in Ekiti State have condemned what they called “oppressive tax” slammed on them by Governor Ayo Fayose administration, calling for immediate reversal.

    The workers described the tax policy as “obnoxious”, saying “a government that claims to be friends of the masses should not come through the backdoor to compound the already unbearable economic conditions of the same people”.

    They condemned the alleged withholding of the subventions to all state-owned educational institutions for the past six months, which has financially crippled them and subjected them to dehumanisation, abject poverty and immeasurable hardship.

  • ‘Leaders use deliberate underfunding of tertiary institutions to maintain hold on power’

    An activist and the Director-General of the Electoral Institute, Abuja Prof Abubakar Momoh, has said underfunding in tertiary institutions has become one of the mechanisms   by governments and ruling elites to impose their decisions for political and social control.

    Momoh said it is a trend that dates back to the military era, and which has since extended because of the realisation that ideas were more powerful than guns.

    Momoh, a professor of Political Theory at the Lagos State University (LASU), delivered the 24th convocation lecture of the Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH).

    He spoke on: “Funding challenge of tertiary institution in Nigeria”.

    “It was a technique the military used to make tertiary institution lecturers subservient to their antics, whims and caprices. Underfunding is one of the reasons education has become mundane, moribund and backward in Nigeria,’’ Momoh said.

    According to him, underfunding has made it impossible for education to empower the people as well as bring about rapid technological development in ways in which research resulted in rapid development of other developing countries.

    Momoh lamented that the governments’ allocations to tertiary institutions has dwindled tremendously amid their excuse that other sectors equally have competing demands.

    “But there are several other nations with meagre resources yet they are able to dedicate UNESCO’s 26 per cent recommendations of their annual budget to the education sector”, Momoh added.

    Momoh said the government can resolve the distress by separating recurring expenditure from capital expenditure, address physical and research expansion of tertiary institutions, and ensure that quality assurance and control bodies play their roles.

    Others, he said, are: supporting of endowment by wealthy individuals and indigenous foundations. Tertiary institutions must also offer support and an improvement in internal mechanisms of their institutions to improve accountability and administrative transparency.’’

  • Ambode names tertiary institutions governing boards members

    Ambode names tertiary institutions governing boards members

    Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Wednesday approved the composition of Governing Councils for the tertiary institutions in the state.

    The Governor, in a statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Tunji Bello, listed the names of members of Governing Council for the Lagos State University, Micheal Otedola College of Primary Education, Lagos State Polytechnic, Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education and the Lagos State College of Health Technology.

    Governor Ambode named Justice George Oguntade Rtd. as Chancellor for the Lagos State University and Professor Bayo Ninalowo as Pro Chancellor and Chairman of the Council.

    Members include Mrs. Tayo Olabenjo, Dr. (Mrs) L.O Durosinmi, Engr. Kayode Anibaba, Mr. Koye Edu, Dr. Ayo Sonibare, Mr. Ken Igbokwe, Mr. Akinsanya Sunny Ajose, Mrs. Yewande Zacchaeus, Mrs. Olabisi Deji-Folutile, Alhaji Lateef Olaseinde Karim and Professor Musliu Onilude.

    Other members include Mrs. Carlene Alaja-Brown, representative of the Ministry of Education, four representatives of the Senate, two representatives of Congregations and representative of Alumni.

    In Micheal Otedola College of Primary Education, Governor Ambode approved the appointment of Alhaja Sekinat Yussuf (Mrs) as Chairman of the Council, Hon. Sunday Kappo, Hon. Toun Adeniran, Mrs Shade Agbalajobi, Engr. Ajibade Emiabata Balogun and Mrs Yinka Babalola as members.

    The Council also has representative of the Ministry of Education, Chairman of the State Conference of Primary School Head teachers, Secretary of the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board and representative on the Ministry of Finance as members.

    [ad id=”403656″]Professor T.J Gbadamosi was also appointed as Chairman of the Governing Council of the Lagos State Polytechnic, which also has Mr. Timothy Ishola Bankole, Mr. Owolabi Amisu, Mrs. Tinu Feyiseyan and Professor Bunmi Otubanjo as members.

    Also on the Council include representative of the Ministry of Education, representative of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, representative of the Alumni Association of the Institution, representative of the Lagos State Chamber of Commerce and Industry, two representatives of the Congregation and representative of the Nigerian Society of Engineers.

    Governor Ambode also appointed Professor Tunde Samuel as Chairman of the Governing Council of the Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, while Dr. (Mrs) Rafiat Olufunmilayo Olatunji, Mrs. Iyabo Osifeso and Alhaji Wasiu Aderibigbe Lawal will serve as members.

    A representative each from the Lagos State Principals Conference, University of Lagos, Ministry of Education, Alumni Association of the Institution, Academic Board and Teachers Establishments and Pensions Office were also appointed in the Governing Council of the Lagos State Polytechnic.

    In the Lagos State College of Health Technology, Governor Ambode appointed Mrs. Tilley Giyado as Chairman of the Governing Council while Alhaji Rasaki Adetunji Ilelaboye, Mrs Sulaiman Arigbabi, representative of the Ministry of Health, representative of the Ministry of Education and two elected members of the Teaching Staff of the College will serve as members.

  • Photo: International workshop on academic contents

    Photo: International workshop on academic contents

    L-R UNICEF REPRESENTATIVE, MR DIPAK REPRESENTATIVE OF SHARDA UNIVERSITY IN INDIA, DR DALEEP PARIMO AND RECTOR, FEDERAL POLYTHECNIC OKO, PROF. GODWIN ONU, DURING AN INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON ACADEMIC CONTENTS OF TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS AT OKO IN ANAMBRA ON THURSDAY
    L-R UNICEF REPRESENTATIVE, MR DIPAK REPRESENTATIVE OF SHARDA UNIVERSITY IN INDIA, DR DALEEP PARIMO AND RECTOR, FEDERAL POLYTHECNIC OKO, PROF. GODWIN ONU, DURING
    AN INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON ACADEMIC CONTENTS OF TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS AT OKO IN ANAMBRA ON THURSDAY
  • Tertiary Institutions need law and morality to grow – Olanipekun

    Tertiary Institutions need law and morality to grow – Olanipekun

    Law and morality have been described as siamese twins that can aid the growth of tertiary institutions and by extension national development. The prescription was made by the legal luminary and former Pro-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) while delivering the seventh Registry annual lecture of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA). He spoke on the topic: ‘Law and morality in tertiary institution in Nigeria: Catalysts for national development’.

    Olanipekun said: “The role of law and morality cannot be overemphasised in charting a positive direction for Nigeria’s tertiary institutions. In fact, any tertiary institution that is devoid of the foundational principles of law and the basic tenets of morality, even if it purports to carry out activities or make progress, is nothing but a sounding brass, a twinkling cymbal. Such institutions can be assured of being bereft of any developmental worth to the nation and its people.”

    He said acquired knowledge or invention not guided by sound moral considerations and ethical principles can only make the world a worse place to live.

    Lamenting the state of the university system in Nigeria, Olanipekun said:  “The dearth of discoveries and inventions in our universities can be linked to the dual-core of this discourse, law and morality.

    While many may fault lack of adequate funding and competent hands as causes of this sorry state, I opine that the causal factors go beyond this. I blame the dearth of critical reasoning in our institutions, I blame the absence of diligence that births innovations, I blame the predominance of plagiarism, I blame the demise of originality.”

    He, however said research, critical thinking, novel proposition, discoveries and inventions should find a natural habitat in Nigerian universities as they do in several universities of the world.

    Olanipekun called for a redefinition of tertiary institution from being mere repositories of obsolete and uneventful knowledge to becoming organic and dynamic centres of discoveries and innovations.

    This begins with conscious pollination of students minds with the seed of intellectual adventurism at their matriculation.

    Olanipekun also had a word for governments.

    He said:”A chunk of the responsibility for moral issues bedeviling our higher institutions of learning must be placed at the doorsteps of the government because some of these problems are direct offshoot and consequences of government’s neglect of the educational sector. A scenario where a negligible amount is budgeted to the education sector can only lead to a geometric decline in the standard of education.”

    Earlier in his address, chairman of the occasion and Vice Chancellor, ProfAdebiyi Daramola, praised the Registrar Dr Modupe Ajayi, for her sterling leadership of the registry and for keying into the vision of the university. He also lauded Chief Olanipekun for a brilliant delivery.

    The event also witnessed award presentation to some notable nigerias. They include: the Orangun of Oke Ila Orangun, Osun state, HRM Oba Adedokun Omoniyi Abolarin; the Chief of Staff to the Ondo State governor, Dr. Kola Ademujimi; and a former Registrar of federal University of Technology Akure Mr. Babatunde Adebayo. They were all honoured with the ‘Distinguish award of excellence’.

     

  • Firm woos investors for tertiary institutions

    To enable investors make the best of investment opportunities available across the nation’s tertiary institutions, Campus Alive Initiative, a campus-based marketing communications and consultancy company, has listed a number of projects, which investors are being sought in some Nigerian universities.

    Speaking with reporters on some aspects of its consultancy, which include providing linkage programmes to help individuals and corporate organisations increase their bottom-lines, the firm’s Managing Director,  Oyinwola Don Babatope identified the projects to include hostels, space for outdoor adverts, banks, telcos, fast food, lecture halls, general supply of stationery, computers, diesel, petrol, among others

    Oyinwola added that since its incorporation, one of its subsidiaries, Campus Logistics has facilitated diverse investments for a good number of investors in the highlighted areas.

    “Through campus logistics, we give ideas that would make you smile to the bank; and this is what we have been helping our diverse clienteles to achieve over time. At the moment, we still have a list of universities looking for investors to come and invest in various projects within their campuses.

    “This is, therefore, a subtle invitation to discerning organisations, individuals and investors to catch in on these opportunities and make the best of them,” he stressed.

    Campus Alive Initiative Limited has been operating since 2005, providing campus services for different corporate organisations.

     

  • ‘Fed Govt spends over N34b on tertiary institutions’

    A Federal Government, through intervention programmes under the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), has spent over N34billion on the provision of developmental programmes and projects in higher institutions in Kano State.

    Vice President Namadi Sambo spoke on Monday at an interactive session with members of the Bayero University Kano (BUK) community.

    The Vice President, according to a statement by his Senior Special Assistant (Media), Umar Sani, inaugurated and laid the foundation of projects in the university.

    He said education was the bedrock of development and had a pride of place in the President Goodluck Jonathan administration’s transformation agenda, which he said had impacted on the education sector in the country and Kano State in particular.

    Sambo said from 2010 to 2014, the “amount spent by TETFUND for infrastructural and academic training in Kano State tertiary institutions is N34.109billion.”

    He said: “The amount of investment by TETFUND across the country within the period is N644 billion.”

    The Vice President said federal and state-owned institutions in the state, which benefited, included BUK, Federal College of Education, Kano, Police Academy, Wudil, Federal College of Education Technology, Bichi, Kano State University of Technology, North West University, Kano State Polytechnic and Sa’adatu Rimi College of Education.

    Sambo said the giant strides achieved were not only in the education sector, but also in power, transport, security, anti-corruption drive, agriculture, industrialisation and others.

    He assured the university community of President Jonathan’s commitment and determination to deliver free and fair elections and debunked rumour of the planned removal of the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC’s) Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega. He said it was the fabrication of mischief makers.

    Answering questions on security, the Vice President listed the achievements the country had recorded in tacking insecurity, particularly the insurgency in the Northeast.

    He thanked Nigeria’s neighbours and the international community for their support and urged the citizens to partner government to tackle terrorism.

    The Minister of Education, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau and the Pro Chancellor of BUK, Alhaji Mahamud Yayale Ahmed, hailed the Federal Government for its achievements in education, particularly government’s policy of increased access to quality education.

    The Vice Chancellor of BUK, Prof. Abubakar Adamu Rashid, thanked the university community for receiving the Vice President.

    He praised the Federal Government for supporting the institution.

    Prof. Rashid noted that the eight projects and the foundation laying of four performed by the Vice President were part of the development projects financed by the Federal Government under the TETFUND.

    He said the university had introduced degree programmes to support Federal Government’s policy on expanding access to higher education and promoting Nigeria’s transition to knowledge- based economy.

    Some of the TETFUND projects inaugurated by the Vice President included the Ahmadu Adamu Mu’azu Stadium, named after the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national chairman, the Faculty of Education building, the Department of Anatomy building and the Department of Physiology building.

    Others are the new multipurpose teaching hospital laboratory,

    and a 360-bed women hostel.

    Also inaugurated were two centres at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital and that of the Centre for Advanced Medical Research and Infectious Diseases.

    Sambo laid the foundation of the International Conference Centre built by Senator Bello Hayatu Gwarzo.

     

  • Strike looms in Edo tertiary institutions over salaries

    Academic activities in Edo State tertiary institutions may be grounded, following the failure of the government to pay the 16 months salary arrears owed workers.

    This arose from differentials in the implementations of the salary structure of the CONPCASS and CONTEDISS from July 2009 to October 2010.

    It was learnt that the decisions by the Coalition of Unions of State Owned Tertiary Institutions to toe the path of strike was informed by failed attempts after several correspondence and meeting with the representatives of the government to meet the demands of the institutions.

    Workers of the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma have had their arrears paid by the government.

    The aggrieved workers also frowned at the inadequate funding, irregularity in the payment of salaries, decay and dilapidation of infrastructures and non- accreditation of some courses in the institutions.

    In a letter dated July 16th chronicling their demands to the governor through the Commissioner for Special Duties and Establishment and copied the Commissioners for Education and Agriculture, signed by the President of the union, Comrade Fred Omonuwa and Secretary, Comrade M. Imherion, they threatened that if their demands were not met within 21 days “the unions may be left with no option than to resume their suspended strike.”

    The letter reads “For over two years now tertiary institutions have been trying to ensure that the 16 months salaries owed workers of these institutions arising from the differentials in the implementations of the salary structure of CONPCASS and CONTEDISS from July 2009 to October 2010 are paid.

    “Suffice to say that several correspondence had been made between the unions and the government with a view to paying this arrears, particularly when our sister institution, Ambrose Ali University, (AAU) Ekpoma had its arrears paid by the government. On several occasions the unions have had to call off industrial actions as a mark of solidarity with the Comrade Governor.

    “If government is not sure about the sincerity of the various management in respect of their inability to pay monthly salaries and other entitlement of workers as at when due, she has the right to investigate the authenticity or otherwise of the claims of the management.”

  • Fed Govt urges tertiary institutions to claim grants

    Fed Govt urges tertiary institutions to claim grants

    President Goodluck Jonathan has called on tertiary institutions nationwide to take urgent steps to access intervention funds provided by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).

    The president said this in Abuja at National Conference on Transparency, Accountability and Ethical Values in tertiary institutions for sustainable development organised by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related offences Commission (ICPC) in collaboration with TETFund and the office of the Special Adviser to the President on Ethics and Values.

    Jonathan, represented by Sen. Anyim Pius Anyim, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, said delay by some institutions to access the funds was not in the interest of the nation’s educational system.

    He said: “Under my watch, the tertiary education sector will continue to be supported in terms of incentives and supportive financing so that our dream of effective and result oriented educational system can be achieved.

    “I have received reports from the TETFUND that a good number of our tertiary institutions have failed to access the funds which runs into billions of naira allocated to them.

    “I urge the respective institutions to do the needful in this regards because we must fast forward the development of our tertiary institutions and we cannot allow nonchalance to slow us down.”

    The president called for transparency and accountability in dispensing funds entrusted to managers of the nation’s tertiary institutions.

    He urged the conference participants to come up with innovative and bold strategy that would enhance development in the country.

    “I also urge you to put in place, a mechanism for monitoring the implementation of the decisions and outcome of this conference.

    “The yardstick for measuring the success of this conference is how much of our intervention funds were accessed for the purpose it was assigned,” he added.

    Mr Ekpo Nta, Chairman of ICPC said the goal of the conference was to entrench the culture of transparency, accountability and ethical conduct in tertiary institution in the country.

    He said the ICPC in collaboration with the Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC) had in 2012 conducted a pilot system study of corruption prone processes in the operation of Nigerian universities.

    Nta said the intention was borne out of the desire to help the universities identify and deal with some unethical and criminal practices that were inimical to the smooth running of universities.

    He identified admission racketeering, poor recordkeeping, poor examinations management, improper management of funds and facilities as some of the unethical and criminal practices.

    The ICPC boss said the conference was in line with the commission’s commitment to corruption prevention.

    According to him, investigations arising from petitions and intelligence gathering have shown that lack of transparency and accountability is one of the major factors at the root of the endemic corruption in the tertiary institutions.

    In a related development, Dr Musa Babayo, chairman, Board of Trustees of TETFUND said the conference was timely considering the boggling situation in the nation’s tertiary institutions.

  • Lagos plans changes in tertiary institutions

    Lagos plans changes in tertiary institutions

    A proposal to re-design the education content in tertiary institutions in Lagos State is underway. When perfected, it is expected to transform tertiary institutions owned by the state into centres of excellence. This was disclosed by Governor Babatunde Fashola SAN, at the convocation of the Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (AOCOED), Otto/Ijanikin, Thursday last week for sets 32, 33 and 34 comprising 8,366 graduands.

    Fashola, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Oluranti Adebule, said the revolution was necessary to justify government’s huge investment in the institutions.

    He said: “I must mention that the state government is currently working on a proposal that would revolutionalise the architecture for tertiary institutions in Lagos State, making it more result-oriented. We intend to re-model our tertiary institutions to become more focused, efficient, purpose-driven and professionalised.

    “We should not have tertiary institutions just for the sake of it. Our institutions should transparently justify the huge investment of public fund and collective attention devoted to their existence. By now, remote teaching, distance learning, life-long training, should constitute permanent features of the academic composition of our institutions. We need institutions that are Centres of Excellence in the true sense of the expression.”

    Fashola also promised that other areas of education across levels would not also suffer, assuring of his government’s continued investment in education in the state.

    “Let me reiterate that we shall continue to invest in the future of our children, our youths and indeed our nation through proper investment in education within the limit of our resources. Education is no doubt, the most fundamental weapon to fight poverty, to intimidate ignorance, to defeat religious extremism and to ensure social orderliness,” he said.

    He, however, said that only quality teaching delivered by the well- trained and committed teachers can produce globally competitive graduates.

    The Provost, Mr. Wasiu Bashorun, said the college would have loved to make the convocation bigger, but for the grief in the nation caused by incessant kidnappings, ritual killings, and terrorist attacks.

    He urged the Islamic sect, Boko Haram, to release the girls abducted from the Government Science Secondary School, Chibok in Borno State immediately and unconditionally.

    Senator Oluremi Tinubu and a former provost of the college, Prof. Bashiru Oderinde were conferred with the institution’s fellowship award.

    Justifying the choice of the recipients, Bashorun said Oderinde, is a true son of Lagos and an accomplished scholar, while Senator Tinubu used her exalted office to facilitate TETFund grants for the construction of a 1,200-seater auditorium for the college, completed a day to the convocation and which served as the venue of the event.

    The interim Chairman of the Governing Council, Prince Abiodun Ogunleye, congratulated the graduates and urged them to make positive impact as they venture into another endeavour in life.