Tag Archives: universities

ASUU Threatens To Close Universities

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The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has warned that Federal and State Universities risk closure, following lack of prompt payment of salaries.

The Port Harcourt chapter of the union held a press conference in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, where it revealed that the zone is the worst hit with shortfall in salaries and unpaid salary arrears.

The institutions in the zone are the University of Port Harcourt in Rivers State, Niger Delta University Amassoma in Bayelsa State, Federal University, Otuoke in Bayelsa State, Rivers State University of Science and Technology in Rivers State and Ignatius Ajuru University of Education in Rivers State.

The Zonal Coordinator, Prof. Beke Sese, said lecturers would no longer continue to endure the situations against the backdrop of current economic hardship.

Sese described the idea of withholding staff salaries while establishing new universities at the same time as the height of irresponsibility and wickedness.

“Our members are being compelled by the actions and inaction of government to contemplate the hard decision of withdrawing our services.

”We call on the students, parents, the media and well-meaning Nigerians to intervene and request the Federal as well as State governments to live up to their responsibilities in the universities, to avoid the imminent and avoidable closure of our campuses.”

The professor also stated that the federal government and some state governments last year enforced a policy of starvation in universities by either paying fractional salaries or outright non-payment of salaries.

He said academic institutions had become the major recipients of ”this inhuman and abhorrent policy of starvation,” adding at the Niger Delta University (NDU), lecturers were not paid salaries for a period of six months.

He lamented that lecturers could no longer cope with caring for their families, paying their children’s school fees and meeting other commitments with such imposed deficit in their income.

“That academic activities still go on at NDU in the face of this extreme deprivation, is indeed an exemplary demonstration of patriotism, patience and unbridled commitment to service by members.

“But the elasticity definitely has a limit and should not be stretched any further.

“In both RSUST and IAUE, the government of the state has withheld union check-offs, which by interpretation is tantamount to paying fractional salaries.

“While in UNIPORT, fractional salaries were paid throughout last year and when there was hope of the refund of the withheld portion of salaries, the government resumed its policy of paying part salaries.

”The administration of the school claimed that there was a shortfall in allocation to the institution between July and December 2016, but the shortfall was part of the staff emolument all through the year (2016).”

 

Source: Channels TV

FG plan to power 9 universities using solar energy

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Ibrahim Jibril, minister of state for environment, says the federal government was set to power nine Universities in the country with solar energy.

This, he said is part of its efforts to ensure a clean and healthy environment through the issuance of sovereign green bonds.

The Minister gave this hint when he paid a working visit to the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) Solar Energy Ltd (NSEL) Plant located in Karshi, Abuja.

Jibril stated that the decision by the federal government to power the tertiary institutions with solar energy was a very laudable development which is in line with the Nigeria’s nationally intended contributions to the reduction of carbon emissions in line with global best practices.

According to the minister, his visit to the solar energy plant was to identify with as well as offer the ministry’s support to the local manufacturing company in the production of solar panel.

He emphasized that renewable energy is one of the critical focus of the soon to be launched Green Bond project by the ministry of environment.

He further maintained that the issue of solar energy will encourage the use of local content which will in turn help the country to save foreign exchange as well as create employment for our teeming youths.

Conducting the Minister on the facility tour of the plant, Mohammed Haruna, the executive vice chairman of NASENI Solar Energy Ltd, noted that the plant was the first Solar PV Module/ Solar Panel manufacturing company in Nigeria.

He also revealed that the plant has a 7.5MW capacity and it can produce all sizes and capacities of solar PV module.

Haruna explained that NASENI Solar Energy Ltd was established by the Federal Government to primarily reduce cost of quality solar panel by producing solar panels that are 100% made in Nigeria.

He further said company’s products can compete favourably with any imported solar panel in Nigeria.

 

Source: The Cable

Seek alternative means of funding, FG tells universities

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The federal government has advised tertiary institutions to develop alternative means of generating funds to run their activities.

Adamu Adamu, minister of education, said this on Wednesday at the third conference of the committee of pro-chancellors of Nigerian universities, in Abuja.

Adamu, who was represented by Fatima Ahmad, director of tertiary education, said that poor deployment of information communications technology in the education sector was responsible for slow migration from traditional classrooms to smart classrooms.

“Resource constraint is a challenge we are facing. However, the reality for now is the effective and efficient management of all resources available –human, material or financial.

“I would also want to urge you to come up with a framework for funding tertiary education to augment the statutory sources which are not adequate. This is critical because education, as we all know, is a critical nexus in the development process.

“With the present drive for global comparability and harmonisation of tertiary education qualifications, ICT deployment is a must feature in our educational institutions. The current deployment is low and most education officials lack ICT skills.

“There is also a shortage of ICT personnel across the nation. Issues of broadband and power outages are constraining factors that government is trying to address. However, we must look out for alternative support because government cannot do it alone.”

In response, Kimse Okoko, chairman, committee of pro-chancellors of Nigerian universities, said that there were ongoing efforts by tertiary institutions to generate funds internally in order to bridge infrastructural development gap.

“We are encouraging our experts in our universities to get involved in publications so as to increase research collaborations leading to development and, thereby, increasing the internally generated revenue base of the universities,” he said.

 

Source: The Cable

FG Embarks On Infrastructure Development In Universities

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The Federal Government has embarked on infrastructure development in Nigerian universities and has begun by handing over newly renovated hostels and other projects to the University of Port Harcourt.

This follows its ASUU agreement of 2009 with the objective of revitalising public universities to meet both national and international standards.

Flagging off the renovated hostels, faculty and laboratory buildings, staff offices and other infrastructure to the university, was the Chairman of the Implementation Monitoring Committee on Needs Assessment Intervention Fund, Professor Kimse Okoko.

The renovation of infrastructure in the university according to him, was the first in thirty years.

The Vice Chancellor of UNIPORT, Proffessor Ndowa Lale, who was also present, said achieving better accommodation facilities was indeed vital.

Representatives of the Federal Ministry of Education, Implementation Monitoring Committee, principal officers of the University were equally present.

On the other hand, some staff and students have commended the development, believing that it is a signal of the improvement of the fortunes of the nation’s tertiary institutions.

 

Source: Channels TV

FG approves N1.9 billion intervention funds for each university

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The Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFund, on Monday gave a breakdown of intervention funds approved by the federal government for tertiary institutions.

The government approved N213.4 billion for the schools for 2016, Abdullahi Baffa, the Executive Secretary, TETFund, said at a press briefing in Abuja on Monday.

The releases and utilisation of the funds are to be done in 1017.

Mr. Baffa said each of the 54 public polytechnics would receive N691.632 million as against N427 million in 2015.

He said each of the 40 federal universities and 34 state universities will receive N1.94 billion. Mr. Baffa added that each of the 55 colleges of education would receive N679 million.

He said this was the biggest annual disbursement given to any beneficiary institution since the establishment of TETFund.

According to him, the trust fund disbursed this year ”shows more than three times what was allocated in the previous year.”

He said that in a bid to ensure that institutions were manned by scholars that have terminal degrees, the trust fund had placed a high premium for them to have scholarships to study for higher degrees.?

“That is why academic staff training and development is allocated N300m for universities, N200m each for polytechnics and colleges of education as against N100m, N70m and N60m respectively, in 2015. While programme upgrade is allocated N565.41m for universities, N380.632m for polytechnics and N371.06m for colleges of education as against N100m, N70m and N72m respectively, in 2015,” stated Mr. Baffa.

He said the trust fund would ensure it monitored the allocation disbursed to each institutions to ensure the funds were judiciously utilised.

“I make bold to say that TETFund will be all-eyes and all-ears in monitoring the judicious utilization of the allocation by all institutions,” he said.

Mr. Baffa expressed the fund’s determination to address challenges associated with assessing intervention funds by institutions in the country.

The official stated that the fund had been abused in the last couple of years.

“We felt that we should look at some challenges we are facing as a fund. All of us are victims as well as culprits. We are still battling with people who are parading themselves as vendors trying to buy, sell and deal with allocation letters,” he said.

Mr. Baffa added that the allocation of 2015 was the least in the last five to six years because of abuse.

Mr. Baffa noted that all institutions must be treated equally irrespective of size and location, adding that this was the surest way of ensuring the fund returned to its paths of pursuing its mandate.

He said TETFund was the sure tool needed to help the institutions get out of the present state of “inadequate staff, paucity of funds, dilapidation and poor quality of graduates”.

He noted that polytechnics in the country were not producing skilled and qualified artisans, saying manpower was still sourced from outside the country.

Mr. Baffa said that President Muhammadu Buhari had directed the fund to check and provide the polytechnics with needed intervention to support the provision of equipment for laboratories, research and training.

 

Source: Premium Times

FG presents licences to eight private universities

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The Federal Government yesterday presented provisional licences to the eight newly approved private universities with caution to dispense the highest standard of quality education to Nigerians.

The Minister of State for Education, Prof Anthony Anwukah, presented the certificates, in Abuja yesterday, assisted by NUC Executive Secretary, Professor Abubakar Rasheed.

Anwukah said even though the government was seeking to increase access to education, quality and relevance of the courses offered would not be compromised.

The minister noted that the eight licences issued brought the number of universities in Nigeria to 152 and the number of private universities to 68.

According to Anwukah, Nigeria’s population is 188 million and the 152 universities provide a ratio of one to 23 million Nigerians. This number, he said, was grossly inadequate compared to some other highly populated countries such as India where one university serves only a little above one million people.

To the new universities, the minister said: “You should adopt the best practices. Quality and relevance will not be compromised.”He reminded them of sanctions if the provisions of their licences were flouted.

Prof Rasheed stated that the newly licenced universities had satisfied the 14 processes leading to the offers. The processes spanned between two and 13 years.

The NUC Executive Secretary enjoined the universities to dare to introduce reviews and changes in the courses being taught for knowledge update for students.

He urged them not to replicate what the older universities may be doing wrong.The NUC boss said the new universities should not allow themselves to be forced to start on wrong footings by their mentor universities.

“You don’t have to follow everything the older universities say. Don’t allow them force you to start on wrong footings. Don’t replicate what they may be doing wrong. However, older universities can also learn from the new ones,” he said.

The eight new private universities which got their provisional licences were Anchor University in Ayobo, Lagos State, Arthur Javis University, Akpabuyo, Cross River State, Clifford University in Owerrinta, Abia State, Coal City University in Enugu, Crown Hill University, Eiyenkorin, Kwara State, Dominican University, Ibadan, Oyo State, Kola Daisi University, also in Ibadan and Legacy University, Okija, Anambra State.

The Federal Executive Council approved the universities on November 2, 2016 and they are to be mentored for the next three years by older universities, which include the University of Ibadan and the University of Nigeria.

‘No teaching, no examination’: ASUU declares one week warning strike.

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The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has declared a one-week warning strike.

The warning strike would involve all its members in universities across the country.

Biodun Ogunyemi, president of the union, announced the one-week strike in a circular released  following their meeting on Saturday, November 12.

The “total and comprehensive” strike will commence on Wednesday, November  16 and end on Tuesday, November 22.

Ogunyemi, in the circular, enunciated the number of issues that federal government is expected to address.

They are;

To compel the federal government to address funding for revitalisation of public universities based on the FGN-ASUU MoU of November 2013.

Non-release of subvention to state universities by their visitors.

Registration of NUPEMCO.

Payment of Earned Academic Allowances (EAA).

Shortfall in salaries leading to payment of fractions of staff salaries.

Non-payment of salaries of staff in the staff primary schools.

Exemption of universities from Treasury Single Account (TSA) policy.

Renegotiation of the 2009 agreement.

ASUU set to embark on strike Wednesday.

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The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has issued a one-week warning strike to commence from Wednesday.

In a circular signed by its President, Biodun Ogunyemi, ASUU said the warning strike was for the Federal Government to meet the agreement it signed with lecturers in November 2013.

According to the circular, “The NEC of our union at its meeting of 12th November 2016, declared a one-week warning strike beginning from 12.01 of Wednesday November 16, 2016 to 12noon of Tuesday 22 November 2016.

It reads, “For the avoidance of doubt, the one week warning strike is to compel the government to do the following:

“Funding for the revitalisation of public universities based on the ASUU-FG MoU of November 2013.

“Payment of Earned Academic allowances.

“Non-release of subvention to state Universities by their visitors.

“Shortfall in salaries leading to payment of fractions of staff salaries.

“Exemption of Universities from Treasury Single Account policy.

“The strike is to hold comprehensively, no teaching, no examination and no attendance statutory meeting of any kind.”

Federal Government approves 8 new universities.

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The federal government has approved the establishment of eight new private universities.

Anthony Anwuka, minister of state for education, disclosed this while addressing state house correspondents at the end of Wednesday’s federal executive council (FEC).

Anwuka said the ministry of education had sought for approval after the NUC made recommendation.

The universities are Anchor University, Ayobo, Lagos; Arthur Jarvis Akpabuyo University, Calabar, Cross River; Clifford University, Owerinta, Abia; Coal City University, Enugu; Crown Hill University, Kwara; Dominican University, Ibadan, Oyo; Kola Daisy University, also in Ibadan; and Legacy University, Okija, Anambra State.

African Universities to offer B.Sc in Witchcraft

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The South African Minister of Higher Education and Training, Blade Nzimande has announced plans to have witchcraft included in the curriculum from 2018.

Speaking to representatives from student unions around the country, the minister announced the shocking move and urged future university entrees to consider taking Witchcraft. “There is a lot we can learn from witchcraft, like how they fly in that winnowing basket. Imagine if we learn that skill. It will eradicate traffic jams and everyone will just get in their basket and fly. It also means we will not be importing fuel anymore.” Blade said.

 

The announcement was met with boos and bottle throws from the packed auditorium who had gone to the meeting hoping the minister would announce a 0% fee increase for the coming year. The unperturbed minister also invited renowned witches to make an appointment with his office so they can have their skills tested and those outstanding would then be hired as lecturers.

 

He also invited witches from across the border, promising them permanent residents permits. “I spoke to Gibs (Minister of Home affairs Malusi Gigaba) and he agreed to issue witches from outside South Africa with permanent residence permits. I heard Malawi and Zimbabwe have an impressive collection of witches. We are hoping they will heed the call”, he added.

 

Applications is said to be closing on the 30th of September at midnight, after which an appointed panel with conduct interviews. There currently is an opening for 109 witches.

ASUU Raps FG for Scrapping Varsities Primary Schools

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The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Bauchi state chapter has condemned the decision of the Federal Government to unilaterally abrogate the provision of free education to children of staff University Primary schools, just as they lamented removal and appointment of VCs

Addressing a press conference in Bauchi yesterday, the ASUU Chairman of ATBU Bauchi, Adamu M Babayo said the abrogation of the University Primary Schools by the Government is in violation of the 2009 agreement between the Federal Government and ASUU.

He said, “the Federal Government decided to close down the University Primary Schools in the fear that there are no money to fund the school.

The government instructed the University administration not to include the staff primary school in 2016 budget which means Government is not honoring our agreement which we started since 1992

“Since 1992 ASUU had agreement with the Federal Government that they will fund completely the staff primary school while the agreement on the University secondary school is that parents will be responsible for the current expenditure while Government will be responsible for capital expenditure but on the primary school it was agreed that they will fund it 100 percent but unfortunately, the Government asked all university to remove the funding if the primary school from 2016 budget without sitting with the management to look at the agreement”, he added.

The Union also lamented the sack of 13 university Vice Chancellors by the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu which they described as a violation of MOU signed by FGN/ASUU in 2013.

Babayo said, ” Federal Government refused to abide with the 2013 MOU where it was decided that there will be University autonomy, but recently the Minister of Education decided to sack 13 Vice Chancellors which is a violation to our agreement.

“We wondered if the Minister knows want he is doing over the decision to sack and appoint 13 Vice Chancellor without meeting with university governing council because it is the mandate of the university council to remove and appoint vice chancellor and not the the Minister,” he said.

The ASUU Chairman also faulted the Federal Government for its failure to implement some other agreement reached since 2009 which among them are funding of Universities, pension reform act, earned academic allowances among others.

“As if the refusal to fully implement the agreement is not enough insult to the union, the Federal Government has taken steps that are strangulating the Universities and making no sense of the agreement. Some of the government policies and actions include, the single treasury account which is almost getting the Universities to their kneels.

“Others include shortfall in salaries which has been on since December 2015 with the result that some Universities pay fractions salaries and budgetary allocation to education which is at an all time low of 8percent in 2016 against the UNESCORTED benchmark of minimum of 26%.

According to Babayo, the union has made several efforts including writing letters as well as meeting with government officials but no sign by government to remedy the situation.

“Some of us may be tempted to say that this is a new government but can this government still be new even after almost one and half years in office? Can it be new to the extent that it can violate the agreements and Nigerian laws? Can it be new if it has resources to bail out states to settle their staff enrolments and not settle those of its own staff. Government is a continuum and most respect all agreements.

“We cannot afford the luxury of allowing them to toy with the destiny of our country by killing the public Universities so that they can profitably run their private ones which only their children can attend.

“The union is calling on all of us to prepare to wage war against the slave maters and preserve our public universities. The union issues this call to prepare for yet another struggle for the liberation of our universities. If the government continues to be adamant, we will take a drastic action,” he said.

ASUU threatens to begin warning strike on October 2

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The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) said on Monday that it would commence a warning strike on Oct. 2.

A statement signed by Mr Ben Ugheoke, the Chairman, University of Abuja chapter of ASUU, stated that the Federal Government had failed to embark on meaningful dialogue with the union.

“We have tried to dialogue with the Federal Government but they have been playing games with us; we will start with a warning strike to show them we are not jokers.

“ASUU has being trying to get the attention of the Federal Government to intervene in the academic system of universities across Nigeria but it has all been abortive.

“Consequently, ASUU will give a warning strike which will start on Oct. 2.

“The strike will last for one week, and if they do not give us listening ears, we will start the indefinite strike in November,’’Ugheoke said in the statement.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that ASUU, had at a recent news briefing accused the Federal Government of reneging on the 2009 agreement with the union.

ASUU’s Coordinator, Abuja Zone, Dr Theophilus Lagi, also said in the statement that the government had only implemented 30 per cent of the provisions of Universities Needs Assessment document.

He said that the fund was disbursed indiscriminately to university councils as a fall out of the six months industrial action the union embarked upon in 2009.

Lagi urged the Federal Government to fully implement the 2009 agreement it reached with the union in order to avert another industrial action by the nation’s public universities.

“The struggle to implement the 2009 ASUU/FGN agreement is not about the union; it is not about the personal benefits of the members only.

“The current issues in contention include funding of universities for revitalisation in line with the Memorandum of Understanding the Federal Government and ASUU had signed in 2013.

“Re-negotiation of the FGN/ASUU 2009 agreement ASUU believes will reposition the entire education sector.

“We also demand the facilitation of the registration of the Nigerian Universities Pension Management Company (NUPEMCO), among other issues in the FG/ASUU 2009 agreement,’’ he said.

Lassa Fever: Nigerian Universities Deploy Cats To Exterminate Rats

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Authorities of the various universities in the country have deployed various strategies, including the use of cats, in order to prevent an outbreak of Lassa fever on campuses, findings by our correspondents reveal.

 

 

From the University of Benin, Edo State; Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State; University of Nigeria, Nsukka; Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State; Enugu State University of Science and Technology to the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, the race for hunting of rats has taken a new dimension.

 
While some of the institutions employ the conventional approach such as cleanliness, sensitising students and members of staff to the danger of co-habiting with rats, and fumigation, others use the unorthodox mechanism like purchasing of cats to exterminate rats in their campuses.

 

Rats, especially the Natal multimammate mice (Mastomys natalensis), found in many sub-Saharan Africa, are believed to be the major carrier of Lassa fever or Lassa hemorrhagic fever. And statistics so far show that no fewer than 60 persons have lost their lives to the virus in Nigeria.

 

The authorities of UNIBEN are not giving anything to chance, especially with the reported death of a final-year engineering student. The student was said to be an occupant in Hall Three, one of the hostels on Ugbowo campus of the university.

 

But the UNIBEN management, through its Public Relations Officer, Mr. Michael Osasuyi, dismissed the speculation about the death of a student of the university.

 

According to him, there is no truth in the story that a final-year student died of the virus.

 

Osasuyi, who, however, said the university was carrying out proactive measures to forestall any outbreak in the institution, added that a committee had been set up to sensitise members of staff and students to the dangers of the virus.

 

He also hinted of plans to “de-rat the university” as part of efforts to check the prevalence of rodents in the community.

 

Osasuyi added, “The vice-chancellor has mandated the student union to organise sensitisation programmes. Before any outbreak, the university is even proactive. The population of student is much; so, we cannot take chances. It is no news that we have rats everywhere.”

 

However, it was also learnt that the various hostels had been fortified with cats allegedly provided by the university management to control the number of rats within the community.

 

The use of cats to prevent an outbreak of the virus is also practiced in ABU. It was gathered that the authorities, in declaring war on rats, provided cats on hostels, especially on Samaru and Kongo campuses.

 

The Director, Health Services of the ABU, Dr. Hauwa Nana-Madugu, who confirmed this, however, said the university was free of Lassa fever.

 

According to her, all the hostels – Amina, Suleiman, Akenzua, Danfo-dio, ICSA/Rammat – have been provided with cats to eliminate all rats.

 

Besides fumigating and clearing the surroundings, students and members of staff, she said, had been sensitised to the danger of the disease.

 

She added, “Apart from fumigating the environment, clearing of the bushes and rats’ (reservoir), the various hostels have been provided with cats to attack the rats. The university has no option but to safeguard the lives of the residents of the community.”

 

Credit : Punch

Don Urges FG To Empower Varsities To Compile Data Of Nigerian Languages

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Prof. Andrew Haruna, the General Secretary, Linguistics Association of Nigeria, has urged the Federal Government to empower universities to carry out survey on Nigerian languages.

 

Haruna of the Department of Linguistics and Nigerian Languages, University of Jos, gave the advice on Tuesday in Abuja, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
He said that Nigeria has over 500 languages, but that only 232 of them have some elements of data, while others are not traceable owing to lack of statistical data.
“We can have a comprehensive data by empowering the various universities in the various zones and states to carry out surveys.
“For example, the Ministry of Information and Culture can vote certain amount of money to the University of Jos to give it the statistics of exact languages in Plateau,’’ he said.
The don said that the ministry can mandate its own coordinator who will now work with professors within the university.
“So, the university is working as expert and the coordinator will monitor how the ministry’s money is being used and at the end of the day, the result presented,’’ Haruna said.
The don said one of the best ways of obtaining a comprehensive data of Nigerian languages was through National Census.
He added that Nigeria could also compile comprehensive data of its indigenous languages through the National Identity Card registration.

 

(NAN)

The One Nigerian University Ranked Among World’s Top 800 Universities

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Only one Nigerian university is ranked among the top 800 universities in the world, according to Times Higher Education World University Rankings for 2015/2016 released this week.

Analysis report shows that the University of Ibadan, Nigeria’s oldest university, is ranked 601st of the world’s top 800 universities featured in the survey, 200 steps lower than Makerere University, Uganda, which is ranked 401st.

The ranking was released on Wednesday, September 30, 2015.

Read More: premiumtimesng

FG Overrules JAMB On New Admission Policy

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The Federal Government has overruled the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board on its new admission policy that recently sparked off protests in parts of the country.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Mr. MacJohn Nwaobiala, disclosed this to State House correspondents on Tuesday, after briefing President Muhammadu Buhari of his ministry’s activities and challenges at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
JAMB had, at its 2015 Combined Policy Meeting, adopted a policy whereby candidates of universities with surplus applicants for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations are reassigned to other universities with lower number of applicants than their capacities.
Protest started at the University of Lagos when the institution’s authorities announced that only

candidates whose names were officially forwarded by JAMB are eligible to participate in this year’s UNILAG Post-UTME.

Nwaobiala told reporters that the decision was jointly taken at a stakeholders’ meeting that had parents and others in attendance.
He said because of the dust raised by the development, the Federal Government had commenced consultation with the aim of identifying where adjustments could be made.
He however said students that made the cut-off marks have been directed to go and write post-UME examinations in their schools of first choice since that was the bone of contention.
Nwaobiala said, “This JAMB thing has been there. As the policy making body, when these issues were raised, they raised in a stakeholders meeting. We normally have what we call the policy meeting. Everything about admission are discussed with parents and other stakeholders at the meeting.
“These are decisions that we collectively took. However, we have a listening hear. We have taken a lot of the issues raised into consideration and we are consulting to see the adjustments we can make here and there.
“The directive has been given. All the students that made the cut-off marks have been told to go and write post-UME examinations in their schools of first choice. After, they can go to their schools of second choice. That has been the bone of contention.”
On the threat by the West African Examinations Council to withhold the results of candidates in 19 states, who wrote the May/June 2015 WASSCE following unpaid examination fees by the state governments, Nwaobiala appealed to states to fulfil their promises.

NUC: Online Degrees Accreditation By Sadiq Abubakar Gulma

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The National Universities Commission (NUC) recently announced Nigeria will not be accepting online degrees, “yet”. Unfortunately there wasn’t much reason given as to why they took the stance and nothing was mentioned of what they are doing to start ensuring Nigeria accepts it. Highly reputable schools around the world like University of Manchester, University of Florida, University of Liverpool, University of Birmingham and many others are offering quality online education that leads to students obtaining bachelor’s and master’s degrees. It will be absurd to regard many online degree holders who possess qualifications from reputable universities around the world and better than what someone will get by attending the many poorly performing traditional universities in Nigeria.
More absurd will it be to disregard the effort of Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarships and that of many of its beneficiaries, many of whom are Nigerians. The scholarships are tenable only for online degrees. I am currently enrolled as for a Bachelors of Arts in Islamic Studies with Islamic Online University (IOU) in my second semester year 1. Prior to that, I have taken more than 15 online courses offered by top universities in Europe and America. These experiences have elaborately exposed to me to the many sides of online learning, as I have with the traditional learning I went through during my 5 year degree Ahmadu Bello University. Thus leading me to a reasonable conclusion that the educational value one receives from the two types of learning is more or less the same.
Online degrees offer much flexibility, offering learners great opportunities to perform other activities. It allows students to continue working while undertaking the degree at their own pace. I met some couple of students in Ahmadu Bello University who wish for longer holidays in order they can work for longer times to earn more money to cover for school in the upcoming semester. Some report late when the semester starts because they haven’t made enough to keep them till the end of the semester. How many people are out there in this quagmire too? These problems added together could be alleviated if online degrees are encouraged by the commission.
The painful truth that our universities are ranked a shameful far distant position in the World Universities Ranking says a lot about the mechanisms maintaining the traditional educational system. Change is normally slow in the academia, but the lack of hope given to online students by the NUC is not reassuring and is in every way demotivating. My simple questions to the commission are why are online degrees not accepted? What are they doing to make sure it is accepted? If the National Open University of Nigeria (the university has already graduated hundreds of people with these “online” degrees, purportedly accredited by the NUC) degrees are accepted, why aren’t other online degrees accepted?
To think that the traditional education system is doing better than the online experience provided by some universities is a fallible pompous gesture. I believe there is a general consensus amongst many that our universities have failed and need repositioning. There is no denying that they produce many half-baked graduates.
Many institutions offering online degrees have disseminate quality education to its students. Online degree holders should be treated with same accord traditional degree holders get.
Sadiq Abubakar Gulma wrote in from Birnin Kebbi.
Sagulma101@gmail.com

Views expressed are solely that of author and does not represent views of www.omojuwa.com nor its associates

First Class Graduates, Polytechnic Distinction Holders To Now Serve In Varsities

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The Director General of the National Youth Service Corps, Brig.-Gen.Johnson Olawumi, has said that prospective corps members with First Class degrees would now be posted to universities for their primary assignments. He also mentioned that corps members who graduated with distinction from polytechnics will also be posted to universities to carry out their primary assignments.

99 Year Old California Woman Fulfills Her Dream Of Graduating From College

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You heard that right. She is 99 years old!
Doreetha Daniels achieved her dream of graduating from college after receiving her associate’s degree from the College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita, California, Necolebitchie reports.
Daniels first started taking classes in 2009 and set a goal to get her degree before she turned 100.
In addition to achieving this goal, the great-grandmother broke the record as the school’s oldest graduate since the college first opened 45 years ago.

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 its never too late to accomplish your goals. Try again today!
Photo Credit: Necolebitchie

Reuben Abati Enrols At Oxford University Business School

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Former spokesman to immediate past president, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, Dr. Reuben Abati is currently participating in the Advanced Management and Leadership Programme of the Oxford University’s Said Business School. Abati started the course three days ago, the 7th of June, 2015 and it will last for 3 weeks. While confirming the news, Abati said;

” I’ve been participating in the Advanced Management and Leadership Programme of the Oxford University’s Said Business School since the 7th of June. I had a great time discussing Nigerian Politics with my boss and former President Jonathan in London over the weekend. Thanks for your encouraging messages and concern. God bless you and Nigeria.”

Cultism : I Paid N35,000 To Join Cult Group – Suspect

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A 31-year-old suspected cultist, Ikechinachi Chinyere, has said he paid the sum of N35,000 to join a cult group in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, because of the harassment and intimidation he was facing from cultists in the area he lived.

Chinyere made the revelation yesterday while speaking to newsmen at the headquarters of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Rivers State Police Command, where he was paraded along with 91 other suspected cultists and five suspected armed robbers.

He said, “I have been facing intimidation at where I live, so in December 2014, I met one of them to teach me their orientation so the boy said I will pay him money before he will teach me their orientation so that they will not be intimidating me again.

“So I gave him N35,000. Last week Tuesday (March 17, 2015), I was in my house at Rumuobiakani when the police came and arrested me. I am not a thief; I don’t fight; I don’t take alcohol. The problem is that if I go to them (cultists), they will excuse me because I don’t know all their orientation.”

Also speaking, another suspected cultist, and a 300-level Accountancy student of the Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RSUST), Port Harcourt, Chika Rex Evans, admitted being a member of the Vikings Fraternity.

Evans said, “I was arrested at my school matriculation party. I was with my friends during my school matriculation party and when we heard police siren; we started running so the police chased us and arrested us.”

Also paraded was the leader of the five-man armed robbery gang, Daniel Samuel, who admitted being an armed robber, explaining that in the operation in which he was arrested, they were sent by a brother to the victim.

Samuel said, “I dropped out of Government Comprehensive Secondary School, Borokiri, in Port Harcourt. I cannot say I am using it to help my family. I have something I am doing so when this man called us and provided the items for us, we went for the operation.

“Somebody (name withheld) told us to come and meet him at Uyo; when we got there he said his elder brother refused to give him money and that his elder brother was bringing money to his house and that we should collect the money and give him his own share. It was on our way back that police arrested us at Akpajo junction.”

Briefing newsmen earlier, police spokesman in the state, Ahmad Muhammad, said the armed robbery suspects were arrested at Akpajo Junction, along the East-West Road, in Rivers State, while on their way back from Uyo after robbing one Akpan Usen Bassey of about N1.6million.

Muhammad stated that other items recovered from the gang included a Sienna bus with registration number RH399CH, one locally made revolver, one live cartridge, 17 assorted cell phones, and an international passport belonging to the victim.