The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Wike

  • College of education teachers’ protest against Minister

    College of education teachers’ protest against Minister

    Members of the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU), Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo, on wednesday trooped out to protest what they called the “maladministration” of the Supervising Minister of Education, Ezebunwo Nyesom Wike.

    They maintained that he is not qualified to be a minister.

    Its former National President, Comrade Remi Makinde said it would have been logical if Wike holds the office of “Special Adviser to the President on Governor Rotimi Amaechi’s affairs rather than be in an office that decides the future of all Nigerian students.

    Makinde said Wike is a lawyer, who is interested in helping the Presidency to fight Amaechi rather than looking for ways to tackle all the challenges in the education sector.

    The lecturers expressed their grievances over the ongoing strike which has entered four months.

    The protest came up at the institution’s gate and led by its Chapter Chairman, Dr. Samuel Akintunde

    They carried placards with different inscriptions such as “IPPIS is repugnant, Jonathan should respond to the cries of the masses” FG should save education from drowning “

    The protest was initially disrupted by men of the Nigerian Police led by CSP Emmanuel Okoi, who prevented workers from blocking the free flow of vehicles along Akure- Ondo-Ore-Lagos road.

    The Police later settled with the workers as the lecturers resolved to stage the protest at the college’s gate.

    Akintunde said the battle of the lecturers was to liberate colleges of education and to improve the academic standard of the students.

    He said the federal government has abandoned teachers’ education completely, adding that none of the 10 issues raised by the union has been solved.

    The COEASU chairman noted that the federal government has been recalcitrant; stressing that the government has only met two times with the lecturers and on these occasions it was different groups who represented the government on the dialogue table.

    His words, “Our fight is about bringing up quality education in Nigeria. The federal government prefers dialoguing with University sector when they came up with their demands but neglect other group in the education sector. If you visit any of the college of education, you will discover that we are working with obsolete tools.

    “We are saying that it is high time all these things change. Secondary schools workshops and laboratories are better than those ones in Nigeria Colleges of Education

    “We have tabled 10 issues that can make education move forward but the federal government has turned a deaf ear to this. We are ready to work, but they have been delaying us from working and since the best approach they know is strike, we will continue to seat at home until they are ready to meet our demands.”

     

  • Yobe killings: FG to tighten security around federal colleges

    Yobe killings: FG to tighten security around federal colleges

    Following the killing of some students of the Federal Government College, Buni-Yadi, Yobe, on Tuesday, the Federal Government has said it will improve security around federal unity colleges in the country.

    This is contained in a statement issued by Mr. Simeon Nwakaudu, the Special Assistant (Media) to the Supervising Minister of Education, Chief Nyesom Wike on Tuesday.

    It said Wike, who condemned the attack on the innocent students, said the ministry would continue “to liaise with security agencies and relevant stakeholders to improve security around all federal unity colleges.”

    According to the statement, the minister, after receiving the news of the terrorist attack, immediately reached out to the management and staff of the school to commiserate with them.

    Wike also commiserated with the families of the bereaved and prayed God to grant the bereaved families the strength to bear the unfortunate loss.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that insurgents on Monday attacked the college at about 11.30pm, killing 43 students.

     

  • FG to continue licensing of private universities – Wike

    FG to continue licensing of private universities – Wike

    The Federal Government said on Thursday it would continue to licence private universities that met laid down requirements for access to quality tertiary education in the country.

    This is contained in a statement signed and issued on Thursday in Abuja by Mr. Simeon Nwakaudu, the Special Assistant (Media) to the Supervising Minister of Education, Chief Nyesom Wike.

    The statement stated that Wike made the remark when he received the management of Nigerian-Turkish Nile University in his office on Wednesday in Abuja.

    It said the federal government would continue to collaborate with international agencies to develop university education.

    The statement said the framework established by President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration through the National Universities Commission (NUC) had given rise to quality international and local private universities across the country.

    “We are happy that the Nigerian-Turkish Nile University has played a key role in the development of university education in the country.

    “We shall continue to partner with your government and other key development agencies in Nigeria to develop our university education,’’ News Agency of Nigeria quoted the minister as saying in the statement.

     

  • Wike: Fed Govt ‘ll issue more private varsities’ licences

    Wike: Fed Govt ‘ll issue more private varsities’ licences

    The Supervising Minister for Education, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, has said the Federal Government will continue to issue operating licences to qualified people to operate private universities.
    The minister said this would enable Nigerians to have access to quality education.
    Wike spoke yesterday in Abuja when he hosted the management of Nigerian-Turkish Nile University.
    The minister said the Federal Government would continue to collaborate with international agencies to develop university education.
    He noted that the framework established by the Goodluck Jonathan administration, through the National Universities Commission (NUC), has boosted quality international and local private universities in Nigeria.
    Wike said: “We are happy that the Nigerian-Turkish Nile University has played a key role in the development of university education in the country.
    “We shall continue to partner your government and other key development agencies in Nigeria to develop our university education.”
    The minister accepted the invitation of the university management to tour the facilities at the institution.
    He also approved the participation of the Federal Ministry of Education in the International Olympiad, to be organised by the university.
    The vice chancellor, Prof Huseyin Sert, said the university would always contribute to the development of the nation’s Education sector.
    He said the organisation was also running primary and secondary schools in seven states, adding that it was committed to Nigeria’s development.
    A statement yesterday by Simeon Nwakaudu, the Special Assistant (Media) to the minister, said the meeting was also attended by House of Representatives’ House Committee Chairman Suleiman Aminu and the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Education.
  • ‘I foresee imminent clash between Wike, Patience Jonathan’

    ‘I foresee imminent clash between Wike, Patience Jonathan’

    Napoleon Ukalikpe is a former Chairman of Ahoada–East Local Government Area in Rivers State. He is also a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and staunch backer of Governor Rotimi Amaechi. He speaks with PRECIOUS DIKEWOHA on his party’s chances in 2015 and perceived bias of the police in the crisis in the state.

    What is the strength of the APC in Ekpeyeland?

    All Progressive Congress (APC) has no rival in Ekpeye Kingdom. The Kingdom comprises Ahoada West and East Local Government Areas of Rivers State. Who are members of PDP in the area? These are people who are afraid of APC. Ekpeye Kingdom has already been captured by Amaechi. Don’t forget that he is a grassroots’ man. If you want to test Amaechi’s popularity, go to the rural communities in Rivers State; you will confirm what I am telling you.

    GDI, Wike’s political group, has been boasting in Ekpeyeland that they are on ground. But one thing is certain, if Jonathan wants to test the strength of GDI and PDP in the state, he should order the police to allow APC to have a free rally and meeting like GDI and PDP. It is impossible for GDI to capture Ekpeye kingdom. Let me tell you something, there will soon be a very big fight resulting from conflict of interest between GDI and PDP. Like I said, GDI is a political group personally owned by the Supervising Minister of Education, Chief Nyesom Wike. Wike has spent his resources funding the activities of GDI in the state and he will do everything possible to protect his interest. I know he will clash with the First Lady who will likely hand pick who will be the next governor in Rivers State under PDP.

    By 2015, Ikwerre will complete the opportunity given to them to govern this state. And it will amount to injustice if another Ikwerre man becomes the next governor of the state. In fact, there is no way an Ikwerre man will say he wants to rule this state by 2015; that is the message of Governor Amaechi. He wants other tribes to be given the opportunity to govern the state. Now the leadership of PDP is saying that there is no zoning and those who can understand the political handwriting knows what they mean. And that is where the GDI will clash with PDP because Wike, an Ikwerre man, has an eye on the governorship seat.

    Why are some political heavyweights in Ekpeye Kingdom who were supporters of Governor Amaechi working against him?

    Those who are against Amaechi in Ekpeye Kingdom are those who have contested with Amaechi’s candidates in the last general elections and local government election in the state but failed during the primaries. I don’t want to mention names but they know themselves. Some of them insisted on going back to state and federal assemblies, but because of their disloyalty, the governor supported other candidates against them and they lost. So, the only means to fight back is to support Wike’s GDI. But in their absence in Amaechi’s camp in Ekpeye we have recorded huge success because some of them are betrayers who have no political acumen to move APC forward in the area.

    In Ekpeye Kingdom, the man in the National House of Assembly is with Amaechi, the Senator there is also with him, the chairmen and councillors are also with him. Those who are with Wike in the area are expired politicians. I want to make it clear here that propaganda is part of politics but the propagandists in Ekpeye kingdom are not politicians but noisemakers. PDP (leaders) in the state are afraid of APC; that is why the police who are working with their directive are finding it difficult to give equal security opportunity to the two parties in the state because if they do, they are finished.

    How is APC coping with alleged police intimidation?

    I want to thank the Inspector General of Police for his order that police should provide protection for one of our rallies in Ogoni recently. At least we are watching to see if the order is for one day or if it will continue. This is because we are passing through hell in the hands of unprofessional police officers in the state who have abandoned their duty to play politics. On Saturday January 11, the police in Rivers State disrupted APC meeting in Ahoada West and the same police allowed a meeting of GDI on same day at the Sam Royal Hotel in Ahoada town. Another incident took place at Odioku Community in Ahoada West during one of the meetings of the party; the police disrupted our meeting. Even when the APC left the Town Square to hold their meeting in a hotel, the police trailed them to that point and chased them away with threats to kill anyone who dared them. Same day at Upatabo Community also in Ahoada West, hoodlums under police protection pulled down canopies mounted by the APC for their meeting.The same treatment was meted on APC loyalists who gathered at Ward 3, Engenni area for their meeting. Like I said, we are experiencing hell in the hands of police in the state. We are watching to see if the directive given by Inspector General of Police is just for Ogoni rally.

    What do you think could be done to end police harassment of your members?

    We are not helpless, we are only careful because the Police Commissioner in the state is on a mission. You can imagine that police disrupted APC meeting in the state and the same day a meeting of GDI and PDP supporters went on smoothly; that alone tells you that we are into serious battle. Instead of the police in Rivers State to protect democracy and allow freedom of movement and the liberty of the people, the Mbu Joseph Mbu-led command has decided to put on the cloak of mercenaries to brutalise innocent members of the party. Rivers State is under siege through Mbu. There is spurious propaganda machinery. What happened on Sunday , January, 12, and Sunday January 19 were not only callous but also affronts on the constitution of Nigeria that guarantees freedom of expression and freedom of assembly. It is an attempt to plant dictatorship and autocracy to subvert Nigerians and undermine the Rivers man but we are out to defend our rights.

    With the situation on ground, don’t you fear that the police and other security agencies could be used to impose a candidate in 2015?

    Believe me, it cannot happen. That we are quiet over police impunity does not mean we are weak or we don’t know our rights. Those fighting Amaechi are Port Harcourt men but Amaechi is a grassroots man, the big men don’t come out to vote; it is the youths, the rural populace. The governor has done a lot for the state by rendering good services to the people of Rivers State through governance. This is a state that youths who came from poor background beg for scholarship because of corruption, which has made some elite to divert the opportunities to their children and relatives but today thousands of youths are beneficiaries of Rivers State scholarship. So, if they say they are strong to win election in Rivers State, let police give APC the same protection they give to PDP in the state. My message is that we are going to protect our votes when the time comes. Nobody will subvert the will of the people.

     

  • Students demand Wike’s removal, issue ultimatum to FG

    Students demand Wike’s removal, issue ultimatum to FG

    The national union of Colleges of Education students have called for the removal of the Supervisory Minister of Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike, because of his inability to resolve the differences between the Federal Government and their lecturers.

    The lecturers have been on strike over their demand for standardised education and their welfare.

    In a communique issued after an emergency meeting at Abuja, the students urged the Federal Government to meet the demands of Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) and those of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) before January 14, 2014.

    The students also asked President Goodluck Jonathan to appoint a substantive Minister of Education and desist from leaving the sector in the hands of a supervisory minister.

    The communique, which was signed by the National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS), Comrade Ogbonaya Sunday; NAPS Senate President, Comrade Lukeman Salahudeen; FCT NANS Chairman, Comrade Adediwara Adesina and others, enjoined the Academic Staff Union of Universities, COEASU and ASUP to embrace the Integrated Personnel Payroll System (IPPS) to curtail incidents of ghost workers.

    According to the communique, the Federal Government should restructure IPPS in a manner that will be easy for lecturers to deduct loan, union dues and their salaries without travelling.

    While stating their stand, the students’ leadership stated that “Each SUG president from all Colleges of Education and Polytechnics in Nigeria should raise money from union account and mobilise 100 students from each campus to the office of the Supervisory Minister of Education.

    “We are going to continue our lecture and campus life till the Federal Government resolve issues with our lecturers.”

    The communique noted that the students had realised the unserious attitude of the government towards the standardization of education and well-being of lecturers in Colleges of Education and Polytechnics in Nigeria.

  • More TVE schools coming, says Wike

    More TVE schools coming, says Wike

    Technical and Vocational Education (TVE) schools are expected to spring up in the Southsouth and Southeast geo-political zones before the end of this year, the Supervising Minister of Education, Chief Nyesom Wike has said.

    Wike, who made this known while unveiling plans for education in the year, noted that the schools are part of plans to improve the education sector.

    In a statement by Simeon Nwakaudu, his Special Assistant (Media), the minister said Nigerians should expect the consolidation of the gains of the investments of the Jonathan administration in the education sector during the year.

    “Nigerians should expect a development-filled 2014 as the Jonathan administration intends to religiously execute all programmes outlined in the Four-Year Strategic Plan of the Education Sector,” the Minister said.

    Wike said the TVE schools are to boost the enrolment of the boy-child, who dropped out of school in the two regions. He said similar results have been achieved with the Almajiri and girl-child schools in the north.

    He said: “We are looking forward to comprehensively addressing the issue of access to quality education for less privileged Nigerians. We are working towards ensuring that majority of the out-of-school children have access to education. We are going to build on the gains that we have already attained in the construction of Almajiri and girl-child schools.

    “To buttress this point, by the end of January 2014, the Jonathan administration will kick off the construction of the Technical and Vocational Schools for the Boy-Child in the Southeast and Southsouth. We intend to deliver on these schools by the end of 2014, like we did with the Almajiri and girl-child schools.”

    This year, Wike also promised training for teachers and the rehabilitation of facilities in public universities in line with the government’s agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

    “The complete overhaul of the universities will be on the fast lane, while the Needs Assessment reports of Federal Polytechnics and Colleges of Education would have been submitted and the reports acted upon. The training of teachers of basic education sector and the lecturers in the tertiary education sector will receive the deserved attention in the course of 2014,” he said.

    The Minister added that the administration will also work towards resolving the industrial disputes with the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics and the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union.

     

  • Wike opens N1b computer lab

    Wike opens N1b computer lab

    The first of N1billion Pan-Nigerian computer laboratories established nationwide by the National Teachers’ Institute (NTI) has been inaugurated at the Government Girl Secondary School in Rumouokuta, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

    It was inaugurated by the supervising Minister of Education Chief Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, with the assistance of the Director-General, National Teachers Institute, Kaduna, Dr, Aminu Ladan Sharehu Npom.

    Speaking at the event, Wike said every state is expected to have one computer laboratory each considering that the world is increasingly digitalising and Nigeria cannot afford to be left out.

    He said the essence is to enhance the quality of teacher training and the nation’s education for national development.

    Wike said: “Let me commend the management of NTI for this laudable initiative, which clearly shows its commitment to providing quality, training and education facilities to improve the quality of teachers and knowledge in our basic education system.

    “I urge all teachers in the state to avail themselves of the service this computer laboratory is set to offer to improve their competence for a more productive and fulfilling education and professional career.”

    The Director-General NTI Dr Aminu Ladan Npom, said he was encouraged to source for a brand of computer sets and accessories worth N1billion through a collaboration with an international donor agency.

    Aminu said: “Considering the importance of ICT to the production of quality teachers in Nigeria, I am happy that we are starting the flag-off ceremony of the commissioning of NTI computer laboratories for teachers in 36 states of the federation including Abuja.

    “I will like to thank the Computer Aid International for supporting me to acquire these computers and other accessories to enhance the quality of teachers in Nigeria. It is our duty to remain focused in the transformation effort to improve the quality of teachers,” he said.

    The occasion was attended by commissioners of education in the Southsouth, NTI Governing Board chairman. Ali Sa’ad Birnin Kudu, among others.

     

  • FG will pay N20.8bn arrears to poly staff – Wike

    FG will pay N20.8bn arrears to poly staff – Wike

    The Supervising Minister for Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, said the Federal Government would pay the N20.8 billion arrears owed to polytechnic staff as soon as the procedure for payment was concluded.

    Wike made this known at a meeting with the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of Federal Polytechnics in Abuja on Tuesday.

    He said the Federal Government had met over 80 per cent of the demands of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP).

    According to him, the only thing left to be done is the release of the white-paper on the implementation of their demands.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that ASUP embarked on strike on Oct. 4 after expressing its disappointment at the Federal Government’s `cold attitude’ to polytechnic education in Nigeria.

    He said that contrary to insinuations by the union, the present administration held the polytechnic staff in high esteem.

    Hence, the setting up of the Needs Assessment to determine the level of decay in schools and how much would be needed by the Federal Government to revive the institutions, he said.

    The minister called on the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of Federal Polytechnics to mediate in the impasse between the Federal Government and ASUP to ensure that Nigerian students return to schools.

    He, however, urged the committee to work toward ensuring that the institutions return to their original mandate of producing skilled medium level manpower to drive the economy.

    Earlier, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, Chairman of the committee of pro-chancellors, called on the minister to facilitate the resolution of the strike by the ASUP.

    He also called on the ministry to work toward the release of the white paper of the Visitation Panels to Federal Polytechnics and pay arrears owed to polytechnic staff.

    The meeting was attended by officials of the National Board for Technical Education and chairmen of 14 governing councils of polytechnics

  • ASUU, Wike and shifting ultimatum

    Convinced that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) was being needlessly intransigent and combative in its strike, President Goodluck Jonathan and the supervising minister in the Ministry of Education, Nyesom Wike, have become even more openly bellicose. Would to God they had been bellicose against Stella Oduah’s malfeasances. The latest stalemate began when the leaders of ASUU sought written assurances that the federal government would keep its own side of the bargain. First to meet the university teachers with discourteous outburst was Mr Wike himself, Dr Jonathan’s redoubtable man Friday. There would be no written assurances whatsoever, he shut back in anger, nor any assurances for that matter. The president’s word was good enough, he claimed. Thereupon he launched into the most obscene and fawning rhapsodies of Dr Jonathan’s attributes and the incontestability of presidential powers.

    Dr Jonathan himself, inflamed by his aides’ rhapsodies and sweeping and uncouth denigration of his opponents, summarily and unprecedentedly declared that ASUU had become subversive and a tool in the hands of the opposition. If the presidential hysteria was not embarrassing enough, Mr Wike, still breathing imprecate against the government’s phantom enemies, reviewed the December 4 ultimatum he gave the striking teachers to resume or be sacked. They should now resume work on December 9 or get the boot, he thundered as one completely ignorant of the way universities are run.

    It is sad that a matter about to be resolved has become complicated by the insensitivity of the Jonathan presidency. Could university teachers, as enlightened and diverse as they are, offer themselves to be used by a political party? Is the decay in universities not apparent enough? And had teachers not gone on strike over the years, who could guess how much worse the rot would have been? Clearly the country is in need of being saved from the hands of Dr Jonathan and his fawning aides. If Dr Jonathan is still capable of listening, would former presidents please gently remonstrate with him to stop embarrassing the country he has misled for the past five years or so?