Tag Archives: Priority

Education must top governments’ priority list – Oshiomhole

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Governor Adams Oshiomhole says education must top the priority list of governments at all levels, if the country must make any headway. Speaking at the 20th convocation of the school, where seven finished in First Class Division for the 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 sessions, Oshiomhole urged management of universities to, on their parts, ensure that schools are not shut saying shutting down schools affect Nigerian students’ abilities to compete with their foreign counterparts that enjoy uninterrupted academic calendars.

“There are many universities that are on strike, and ASUU has cleverly reversed the conventional adage, or even law, which says, ‘no work, no pay’. Now, ASUU members find themselves saying to now say, ‘no pay, no work’.

“As we speak, I am sure there are a number of universities that are not working because the states have not paid them, and also I am aware of reported cases of some state governments saying straight away to the universities that they are not going to be able to pay more than a fraction of the subvention that they have been paying on account of the current economic challenges. For me, I am clear that if the Nigerian state defaults in every aspect of its obligation to the people, the Nigerian state, federal and state governments, must never default in its obligation to ensuring that teaching and learning never stop.

“The truth is, Nigeria must reorder its priorities. We must never allow our educational institutions to close down. Closing down by one minute will cost us more than one year of our GDP because every time we stop learning, as Obama would say, ‘when we go so low, they continue to go so high’. And yet, we are expected to compete on the level playing field.

“So, the next government must consolidate on what I am already doing and continue to do even more, including keeping promises that I made in good faith, but which I may not have been able to deliver timely, but those promises must be delivered, and these will be in my hand-over note.

“The future that I see, the growth and development of universities will not be based on the generosity of a state governor, because nobody knows when we are going to get out of where we are in.

“The challenges are mounting. The government needs to provide a variety of public services at a time of declining revenue. In the short run, there will be no quick fixes. So, the university must be creative.”

He said the university would grow not courtesy of miracles, but on the basis of determined efforts by management, staff and students to do things differently.

Earlier, Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Ignatius Onimawo, paid glowing tribute to Governor Adams Oshiomhole, for his invaluable contributions to the development of the university.

He said, “The massive interventions of the state government under the leadership of the Governor Oshiomhole, are eloquently manifested in the number of projects that were built from government’s intervention funds/grants. Undeniably, the governor has boldly etched his name in gold in Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma.”

He appealed to the governor-elect, Godwin Obaseki, to continue in that light so that the heights attained would be surpassed.

According to Oninawo, 8,692 diploma, and first-degree students graduated for the 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 academic sessions, while 492 postgraduates were conferred with their awards for the two academic sessions.

Amnesty International: Privacy of 21 Chibok Girls released should be a priority

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Responding to the announcement by Nigerian government that secured the release of 21 Chibok girls abducted by Boko Haram Netsanet Belay, Amnesty International’s Regional Advocacy Director, said:

 

“The release of 21 of the kidnapped Chibok schoolgirls by the armed group Boko Haram is a big relief. However, it is vital now that they receive adequate physical and psychosocial counselling and support so that they can fully reintegrate in their communities. The government should also respect their privacy and ensure that the released girls are reunited with their families and not kept in lengthy detention and security screening which can only add to their suffering and plight.

 

“Boko Haram members have executed and tortured thousands of civilians and raped and forced into marriage girls and women. They have been indoctrinated and even forced to fight for Boko Haram.

 

The Nigerian authorities must now do more to ensure the safe return of the thousands of women and girls, as well as men and boys abducted by Boko Haram.”

Fight Against Corruption Is Priority Of Incoming Ministers- Presidency

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The office of the Sec­retary to the Gov­ernment of the Federation, SGF, is set to work harmoniously with the incoming ministers to advance the fight against corruption in line with the desire of President Mu­hammadu Buhari to rid the country of the menace.

Gideon Sammani, Se­nior Special Adviser, SSA, on political matters to the SGF, Engineer Babachir Lawal said this in Abuja weekend, stating that the incoming cabinet members are already aware of Bu­hari’s strong desire to re­vive the national economy, first with the fight against corruption, while they will all enlist in the fight.

Speaking with newsmen during a special reception and thanks giving service orgainsed in honour of the SGF at the International Conference Center, Abuja on Saturday, Sammani said the SGF had already indi­cated resolve to lead in the fight against corruption and hence will mobilise the cabinet members to be anti-corruption crusaders.

Read More: nationalmirroronline

Our Priority Is To Clean Up Corruption Mess- Buhari

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President Muhammadu Buhari has said the task before his administration is to clean up the mess that corruption had brought on the country and rebuild institutions that had been so much ravaged.

Speaking at the opening of the 21st Nigerian Economic Summit in Abuja yesterday, Buhari who was represented by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo noted that Nigeria, at the moment, was faced with monumental challenges.

He said, “We are at a time of monumental challenges and tough choices, but also a time of incredible opportunities for achieving competitiveness, inclusive growth and sustainability.

“We, as a government, are called upon to make tough choices in exchange control restrictions, altering the absurd recurrent to capital expenditure ratio, reducing the deficit and reducing the overall size of governance.

“We are called upon to clean up the mess and rebuild the institutions that corruption has ravaged over the years.”

Read More: leadership

Dear Obama, Gay Right Is Not an African Priority, By Dinah Adams

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To the President of the United States of America, while you tour through our shores burdened with global issues of security/ terrorism, economy, health care and national ties; kindly note that gay right is the least of our problems.

The Kenya you visited has been stricken by Al-Shabaab and is frankly strategising ways to eradicate the incursion these external insurgents. It is quite too serious an issue for the issue of accepting various sexual oriented clans to be chipped in. President Uhuru’s response to that request must have settled that, but for emphasis sake, this open letter intends to help you reason with those of us born and breed on African soil.

For generations, the African society and every society as well exist and continue to procreate, courtesy the only natural sexual orientation we are familiar with. This same sexual orientation is the only way through which a new human can be birth to naturally…, the sexual relationship between a MAN and a WOMAN.  Pardon me to say that a POTUS would not exist naturally without the sexual union of a MAN and a WOMAN.

With that by the side, the African community is still recovering from the ruthless blow of Ebola and is still overwhelmed by one nation’s achievement of marking a year without any record of polio. Gay right still doesn’t seem like an issue that would surface over here.

Be also reminded that there are African countries experiencing drought/ famine, killer diseases like malaria, cholera, HIV/ AIDS, etc. In essence, we are still trying to put out “shit” together. We have been classified as third world nations and probably have not reached that level of accommodating unnatural sexual orientations.

Dear Obama, by the time an African spaceship lands Mars, Jupiter or Pluto, your gay right proposal might have made a lot sense to us. Right now, we are struggling to put food on our tables, cloths on our backs and live above one dollar a day. Most importantly, we are trying hard to establish a system that provides employment to many young Africans and take most of them off the streets, especially those deceived by the sick doctrine of insurgents.

Look around Sir, campaigns on high tempo are trying to inform people in the rural areas to wash their hands with ash (not even soap) and water, while volunteer health workers are running out of free mosquito nets to distribute. These among many are problems the African society is dealing with.

More so, the kind of protests seen on our shores is of a different orientation with the ones on your shores. A quick example is the famous #BBOG, frankly of no connection with #LGBT. Workers are protesting for salary raise, Universities crying for better pay and infrastructure, maternal deaths and girl child education, among many are the issues we wake to every morning.

And finally, a natural cause has never demanded for right. Heterosexuals have never fought for the right to exist because it does not only result to a pleasurable experience, but also makes reproduction possible. Even the cats gay couple adopt exist because a MALE cat mated with a FEMALE cat.

In order not to over flog this issue, Africa has way too many issues on its priority list. For some African countries, Gay right is not even visible on the list of the least of their priorities.

@didiYargata

VIEWS EXPRESSED ARE SOLELY AUTHOR’S…