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Tag: wards

  • Wards delineation: Suit to halt judgment enforcement adjourned

    Wards delineation: Suit to halt judgment enforcement adjourned

    Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed March 4, 2025, for ruling in a suit to stop the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from enforcing a December 2, 2022, Supreme Court judgment.

    The verdict is on fresh delineation of polling units and electoral wards in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State.

    The plaintiffs are Chief Brown Oritseweyinmi Mene, Mrs. Tserundede Faith Yashobo, Mrs. Tsaye Edeyibo-Mene, and Prince Joseph Arubi.

    They represent the people of Itsekiri ethnic extraction in the Warri Federal Constituency, which includes Warri North, Warri South, and Warri South-West Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Delta State.

    Respondents include INEC and the National Assembly.

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    The suit follows a December 2022 Supreme Court judgement in Appeal No. SC/413/2016: Hon. George U. Timinimi & Ors v. INEC, which ordered INEC to conduct a fresh delineation of electoral wards and polling units in the three Warri LGAs ahead of future elections.

    After INEC had visited all the communities, the Itsekiris went to court through Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) and Akin Olujinmi to obtain an interim order to restrain INEC from releasing the report.

    INEC filed a notice of preliminary objection challenging the court’s jurisdiction since the Supreme Court had decided it. Olanipekun and Olujinmi withdrew on November 21 and Damien Dodo (SAN) took over.

    When the matter came up on December 17 for hearing of INEC’s objection, Dodo also withdrew, leaving Ama Etuwewe (SAN) to lead the Itsekiri legal team.

    Dr Joseph Nwobike (SAN) and other SANs for the Urhobos and Ijaws agreed with INEC’s objection, which is that the Supreme Court had already decided the case.

    The plaintiffs argued that INEC displayed bias in implementing the judgment by constituting a delineation committee that had some officers of Ijaw extraction as members and failed to obey earlier Federal High on the number of wards in Warri South LGA, hence the suit.

    The court adjourned till March 4, 2025, for ruling.

  • Speak Yoruba to your wards, Lagos educationists advise

    Speak Yoruba to your wards, Lagos educationists advise

    Stakeholders in the education sector recently lent their voices to Lagos state government’s recent move to perpetuate the Yoruba language. Ambrose Nnaji reports.

    Yoruba parents have been advised to speak the indigenous Yoruba language to their children more, to enable them develop competence in it. They should also impart on them the culture, especially how to behave in public, how to dress well and respect for elders.

    At a recent event organised for secondary schools in Education District III, Lagos, it was noted that the Yoruba language is on a free fall to extinction, hence the urgent need for parents and guardians to wake up to the responsibility of teaching their children the language.

    The Tutor General and Permanent Secretary of the district, Margret Solarin expressed concern that children are no longer interested in speaking the indigenous language but blamed parents for failing in their duties.

    The occasion featured an exhibition, where pupils identified local objects in their local Yoruba names.

    Solarin warned parents not to allow what she described as civilization to take away their language, citing the example of countries like China and Russia, that speak their languages. She added that anyone willing to study in these countries must first learn their languages.

    Stressing that language is culture, Solarin said: “Parents let’s speak our indigenous language to our children. Speak Yoruba language to your children in your home and warn them not to answer you in English….

    Speaking exclusively to The Nation, she seized the occasion to disseminate the information that the teaching and learning of the Yoruba language is now compulsory among students in the state. It will be recalled that the Lagos State government recently passed a law making the use of the language part of requirement for assessment for both primary and post primary school students in the state.

    “It is also to promote the language among the students; the Yoruba language is going into extinction and we must not pretend as if we are not aware.”

    Going forward, she said the children will be having competitions in Yoruba, possibly as a yearly event, to enhance interest and competence in the language and help them perform better in the language during internal and external examinations.

    Chairman, Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), Lagos State, Segun Raheem, said all efforts relating to the improvement of indigenous language in the state must be upheld. He noted the best way to develop education is when culture is developed, arguing that you cannot develop your culture without developing your language.

    Representative of the Lagos State Deputy Governor, Sulaiman Ajayi maintained language and culture were still relevant, urging parents to make sure they continually teach their children the language. “Parents must make sure their children know how to speak the language very well and imbibe the culture which is part of the language.”

    In her contribution, renowned professor,  of Philosophy and Executive Director, Center for African Culture and Developent (CEFACAD) Sophie Oluwole said unless you speak your language you cannot know your culture. According to her, our knowledge, culture and tradition is our language

    “There is something important about your language; if you don’t speak your language, how could you know your culture? Every culture is expressed in the language. Teach the children your culture, and you can study the western culture for comparison”, she added.

    The Assistant National Secretary, Association of Yoruba Language Teachers in Nigeria, Adeyemi Aderemi, who teaches Yoruba at Epe Girls Junior High School noted that Yoruba language teachers in schools in the state are not adequate to achieve the government initiative, adding that this poses a very great challenge for schools.

    Notwithstanding the new law, he said “without those who will enforce it, it will amount to nothing.”

    Giving kudos to the Lagos State government for the new law, Aderemi said, “It is the language of the environment, you must learn it and study it. With the law, it has become the language that you can even transact business with; it is a plus for us as Yoruba language teachers….”

    He said the just concluded competition witnessed the gathering of the best heads from the various schools, stressing that it can only get better.

    Member, Lagos State House of Assembly, representing Oshodi/Isolo Constituency 11, Jude Idimogu commended the Lagos state government for the initiative, adding that the idea will promote the Yoruba language and culture. He however urged other ethnic groups to emulate the initiative.

    Idimogu, who is also a member of the Education Committee that organised the programme, said there was no end to learning. “The point is for us to know that language is the key. You should buy the idea of promoting the Yoruba language in particular, so that people can express themselves particularly in the vernacular language.

    “I look forward to seeing every other tribe doing the same thing.”

    A student of the Army Children Senior High School, Alara Rebecca observed that most of her age-mates don’t want to hear anything about Yoruba language, because they believe the language has no impact on their carrier.

  • Aliero distributes empowerment tools to 89 wards in Kebbi

    Aliero distributes empowerment tools to 89 wards in Kebbi

    Senator Adamu Aliero, representing Kebbi Central on Sunday in Birnin Kebbi, distributed eight cars, 250 motorcycles and 560 grinding machines in 89 wards of his constituency.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that other items distributed were; 500 tailoring machines, 300 water pumps and N10, 000 cash each to 2,000 women in the constituency.

    Aliero, while distributing the tools said it was part of his empowerment drive aimed at making the youths and women become self reliant in the constituency.

    “This is the second time I have empowered my people; the first one, I distributed 600 water pumps, I dug five boreholes in each of the 89 wards.

    “I also built three blocks in primary schools in the eight local government areas and five primary health care centres within the area, among other things, “ he said.

    According to him, twenty five blocks of primary schools will be built under the Universal Basic Education (UBE) in his constituency.

    Also speaking, the state Chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Alhaji Attahiru Maccido, commended the lawmaker for his efforts toward empowering the youth and women in the constituency.

    “We have not regretted voting you and we would always support you.

  • Parents warned against aiding wards to cheat

    A lecturer with the University of Ilorin, Dr Issa Sanusi, has warned parents not to assist their children to cheat in examinations.

    Sanusi, of the Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Arts, made the call at a public function yesterday in Ilorin.

    He was speaking at the closing of a summer lesson, organised by Balogun Gambari Youth Movement.

    According to him, exam malpractice remains one of the challenges facing the education sector.

    The lecturer said employers no longer have confidence in the quality of certificates from the nation’s institutions due to exam malpractice.

    “This is largely due to fraudulent means of acquiring certificates as it has become the order of the day in our society,” he said.

    Sanusi stressed the need for stakeholders to rise up to the challenges facing education by discharging their responsibilities effectively.

    He warned that unless exam malpractice was abated, the country may be producing uneducated citizens that could become liability to the society.

    The don urged government to provide environment conducive for pupils and students to learn and give priority to welfare of teachers.

    The Chairman, Kwara State Teaching Service Commission, Malam Abdulrazaq Ibrahim, described exam malpractice as ‘a canker worm eaten deep into the fabric of the education sector’.

  • Be your ward’s best friend, parents advised

    Parents have been advice to establish good relationships with their wards to check child abuse in the society.

    Mrs Jibola Akinyosoye, a parent, spoke as guest speaker at the send off for Primary Six pupils of Cardinal Nursery and Primary School, Isheri.

    She said some parents’ inability to relate effectively with their wards made the children fall victim to child abuse because they did not know what to do.

    She condemned parents, especially mothers’, sentiments on sex education to their wards.

    She said it was ideal to establish a mother/child relationship from their tender age to build trust, confidence and connect with them in an age-appropriate way.

    “Some of us (parents) see our children especially below the age of 18 or 16, too young to discuss certain issues with. Many parents especially mothers make a huge mistake at this stage. Let your child be your friend. Even from a young age, open up conversations with them. Listen to them when they want to talk, do not shut them up; let them tell you want happened in school and at home. In other words let them find companion in you. Don’t wait till they are teenagers, let it start right from the toddler stage.

    “Starting at an early age, usually around age four, many children will ask where they came from, that is, ‘where do babies come from’? Many parents may put off these types of question with the hope that their child would forget about it and the parents feel a sense of relief in not having to answer. In actual fact, the parents are making a mistake in not answering, thus unknowingly creating a communication block”.

    Akinyosoye, who spoke on the theme, “My child my best friend”, explained that the teens and young adults are the hardest for parents to talk  to about sex education. She advised that it was vital to understand that the child at some stage would experience sexual feelings. Therefore, they need to know.

    “Teens find it difficult to talk with their parents about sex because of embarrassment – the fact that their parents may not understand them or the belief that their parents will assume that they are already sexually active. Parents must understand that a lot of information children receive on sex is from friends or the media. For this reason, a parent must know that the lesser the information they give their child, the more the misinformation their child will acquire” she added.

    Another speaker, Prof Simeon Dosunmu of the Faculty of Education, Lagos State University (LASU), advised the graduands not to engage in activities that could terminate their dreams of being successful in life.

    He urged them to be persistent, disciplined and honest, manage their time, acquire knowledge beyond the classroom and love one another to achieve their goals in life.

    The school’s Proprietress, Mrs Nkechi Ohakawa, urged the graduands to put more efforts into their academic pursuits and exhibit the values they acquired from the school.

  • Council chief seeks voter registration at wards

    The Chairman of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) Abdullahi Candido has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to take the Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) exercise to the ward level.

    Candido pleaded that a lot of his constituents cannot afford to pay their way to the CVR locations, thereby missing out on the exercise. He made the call during the flag-off of the nationwide exercise by the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission Professor Mahmud Yakubu.

    He said,” There are many people within AMAC who cannot afford to come to the Local Government office to get registered. Bringing it closer to them will ensure no one is disenfranchised.”

    The INEC chair gave the clearest indication that the commission will eventually take the registration exercise to the wards or polling units to avoid disenfranchising Nigerians who want to be a part of the process.

  • Sultan urges parents to monitor wards

    The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammed Sa’ad Abubakar III, has advised parents to monitor their wards on social media use.

    The Sultan spoke at the weekend in Ilorin, Kwara State capital, at the N508 million foundation-laying ceremony of the proposed University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) Centre for Qur’an Memorisation.

    The monarch, represented by the Emir of Tshonga, Dr. Haliru Yahayah, said Islam was a religion of peace and urged ummah to live in harmony with their neighbours.

    He admonished Nigerians, particularly parents, to be careful and regulate the usage of social media by youths, noting that it is responsible for most of the crisis confronting the world.,

    “Let us be careful about the use of social media, we must regulate and sanction its usage at home. We must develop strategies on how to manipulate that space to our advantage because their reality is different from ours,” the monarch said.

    The Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari, described the day as historic, being the first time he prayed at the mosque.

    According to him, the centre will facilitate the learning and memorisation of the Quran.

    Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, who was represented by Commissioner for Water Resources, AbdulRasaq Akorede, noted that memorisation of the Quran is a noble course of Allah. He urged Muslims to always reflect on its meaning.

    Ahmed promised that his government will support the teaching of Islamic education to correct most misconceptions about the religion.,

    The Vice Chancellor, Prof. AbdulGaniyu Ambali, said performance of students, who participated in the last competition at Al-Hikmah University prompted the Muslim community to establish the centre.,

    Chief Imam Prof Abdulganiyu Oladosu noted that only those who contributed generously to the cause of Allah will attain “piety, righteousness and Allah’s consciousness”.

  • Africa investor announces investment wards

    Africa investor (Ai), a leading international investment and communications group, has announced the shortlist for its prestigious Ai Institutional Investment and Capital Market Awards 2015. It would  hold on the 25th of September at the Thomson Reuters offices  during the UN General Assembly.

    Launched in 2007, and linked to the Africa investor Index Series, the Ai Institutional Investment and Capital Market Awards are based around the Ai Index Series and are the only pan-African Awards designed to recognise Africa’s best performing stock exchanges, listed companies, investment banks, research teams, regulators, socially responsible companies and sovereign wealth and pension fund investors. It is a uniquely African capital markets event.

    Hubert Danso, CEO of Africa investor said Africa’s capital markets remain some of the most attractive propositions for institutional investors globally. We are therefore delighted to showcase the institutions and CEOs from the Ai Index Series at the forefront of delivering world class returns.

    The stiff competition in our African and global pension and sovereign wealth fund categories is a testament to the high institutional interest and participation from owners of capital. We are therefore naturally very pleased with this year’s top ten shortlist and wish all nominees the best of luck.”

  • ‘Motivate your wards, parents, teachers told’

    It was not just fun galore for  parents and teachers of  Doregos Private Academy at  the school’s prize giving day, but it was a time to remind them  of their roles in the lives of the pupils.

    As they gathered to celebrate at the programme which was part of the activities to commemoration the school’s 25th anniversary, the parents and teachers were advised to cooperate as they complement each other in the upbringing of the child.

    The Chairman of the occasion, Mr Ezekiel Ejidele, who gave the advice in his remarks said:  We are expected to assist, guide, pilot and encourage as well as motivate our children towards realising their full potential. We all know that appreciation is the feeling of happiness that we get the moment we realise we have done something good.  Even when they (students) are failing, you need not to hammer on their weaknesses but try to encourage them; they can do better. We need to appreciate them when they perform well but we need to appreciate them the more when they are failing. That which they think is impossible; we must always assure them that it is possible with minimal implemental effort”.

    To boost their morale, Ejidele said teachers and parents should compliment pupils’ efforts by using such words like “well done, thank you, you can do better, I am proud of you. These words as simple as they appear could motivate our pupils to wanting to do more”.

    He noted the performances of the prize winners serve as encouragement to both parents and the school and urged the non recipients to work harder.

    Corroborating the chairman’s speech, Mr Babatunde Babalola, a professor of Educational Management, University of Ibadan, who spoke on the theme “Learning for Sustainability”, said education should not be restricted to school as learning starts from home.  Therefore, he said the home has a basic responsibility to play. He explained that there are dynamics of teaching which is evolving and encouraged the school to be technologically alert in its teaching process. He however warned that teachers, pupils as well as school administrators should recognise their boundaries and responsibilities to make learning sustainable.

    The highlight of the event was the presentation of prizes to 94 pupils and 33 members of staff as well as the inauguration of the school’s science laboratory and tuck shop.

    Inioluwa Ejidele, who is the school’s ambassador for SS2 Class, attested that motivation from his parents has really helped him.

    I have always been lagging behind in Maths and English. My parents supported me by giving me private tutor aside the ones in school.  I receive home lessons at 8pm; at times my tutor sleeps in my house and by three to four in the morning, we tackle mathematics.  My Mum has really been by my side, every time she wakes me up, or keep alarm clock by my side.  At times she sits down with me and we study together.  My Dad is another source of encouragement to me. The presence of my Mum here is the major reason of my happiness today.  Her efforts truly have not been in vain”.

    On his part, Mr Ejidele said he relates with his son like his friend.

    “He is more like a friend to me; I don’t see him as a son. We are very close; we talk intimately. There are certain things I share with him that even his Mum does not know.  He has a big dream so we are always there to encourage him.  He knows how to manage his time.  At times when he feels he has disappointed himself as a friend I support him,” he said.

    Another prize winner from the JSS1 category, with 28 prizes, Bello Abubakar  fondly called ‘professor’ said he is a strong advocate of hard work and through the effort of his teachers and parents he has been able to abide by it.

    Mr Benardino Doregos, Executive Director of the school, said the occasion was an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of pupils and members of staff as well as parents who have contributed to the progress of the school.

     

  • 10 wards get council chief’s cars

    The Chairman of Kuje Area Council Hon. Ishaku Tete has donated 14 cars to 10 ward chairmen wards of the council.

    Presenting the vehicles, the chairman described it as part of the dividend of democracy from his administration, saying that the vehicles will facilitate easy movement during the campaign and general elections.

    He advised the wards chairmen who benefited from gift of cars to take advantage of the occasion and make judicious use of the vehicles.

    Also speaking, the PDP Flag bearer for the House of Representative to represent Abuja South, Hon. Danlandi Zhin, expressed gratitude to Hon. Shaban Tete for the gesture, pointing out that, the Nigeria situation, though worrisome, is not beyond solution.

    He further stressed the importance and efficacy of prayers, that Nigeria needs the prayers of every citizen for it to move forward, adding that Nigeria would be healed of all its political and socio-economic problems, if everyone takes it as a duty to always pray for the country and the sustenance of democracy.