THE NATION THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2012
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EDUCATION College reopens for exams
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HE Edo State-owned College of Education, Ekiadolor last Monday reopened and began the second semester examination. The institution was shut over a protest following allegations that the management was holding on to the N5,000 refund from their school fees promised by Governor Adams Oshiomhole during last July’s governorship campaign. The protest was led by their Students’ Union Government’s president, Comrade Augustine Oriakhi last Monday. The school had scheduled its second semester exams for last Monday when the students started the protests. Provost of the institution, Prof Amen Uhunmwangho said the college is yet to get the refund but assured that the Governor will fulfil his promise. “I understood the students’ grievances, the refund is a promise made by the governor, which the govern-
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From, Osemwengie Ben Ogbemudia, Benin
ment intends to keep. Management is yet to get the refunds from the government. When the subvention comes, we will surely refund to the students that have paid. “I don’t think this should be abused. The students are remaining calm and they are writing their exams, the primary reason they are in school”. The professor of English said that Comrade Oshiomhole recently gave the students two hummer buses, built bus stops, and renovated the hostel to the tune of N100 million. Uhunmwangho who took journalists round some projects so far executed said the library building is at the roofing level, while the School of Education complex at is at various stages of completion. “To easy transportation, two 34seater coaster buses and a water tanker was recently bought for the college.
Indian envoy for award
HE India High Commissioner to Nigeria Mr Mahesh Sardev will be the Special Guest of Honour at the India Universities Alumni Association Nigeria award ceremony. The event, which holds at the India High Commission in Lagos on Saturday, is to promote India-Ni-
•From left: Mrs Justina Adomokhai, Mrs. Angela Akhimien, Mrs. Cicilia Abu, all of UNILEVER Supply Chain Oregun, teaching pupils of St Agnes primary school handwashing techniques during the Lifebuoy Schools Engagement Initiative in Lagos.
geria relationship, according to its national president Mr Collins Onyenze. Some of the awardees already penciled include Managing directors of multinationals including Zinox Group Prestige Assurance; Seven Up Bottling Company, among others.
Govt to repair maritime school
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HE Federal Government has said it will rehabilitate the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) maritime training school even as it pledged to address dearth of manpower in the maritime sector. Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar disclosed this at the weekend during a working visit to the abandoned institute in Apapa, Lagos. Umar said: “The present administration is committed to completing abandoned projects littered all over the country. The NPA training school which had been the training ground of many seafarers and maritime workers will not be an exception.” He expressed dismay that the well-equipped school could be neglected when the nation is experiencing dearth of skilled sea men.
From Olugbenga Adanikin, Abuja
In a statement in Abuja, the Assistant Director, Press, Abiodun Oladunjoye said the project will be executed under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement. Meanwhile, at the Badagry site of the proposed maritime academy, the Minister expressed concern at the culture of abandonment, stating that all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) have been mandated by President Goodluck Jonathan to evaluate abandoned projects in order to restore them. “There is a need to put in facilities that will address the obvious shortfall in human resources to complement what the Maritime Academy of Nigeria , Oron, Akwa Ibom State is already doing,” he added.
Varsities without teachers, tools • Continued from page 26
enrolment over the years, the committee faulted the poor management of existing ones. As universities are not allowed to use their capital votes for construction of hostels, funding for those under construction, many of which have been abandoned, were sourced from Internally-Generated Revenue (IGR), TETFUND, the Niger-Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and private donors. The committee recommended that universities provide up-tostandard residential facilities to accommodate at least 50 per cent of its population on a public-private partnership basis. It advocated a cost structure that would provide for the maintenance of the facilities regularly. Abandoned projects During the tour, the committee documented that 163 of the 701 physical uncompleted projects it found had been abandoned – with the UNN and the Usmanu Danfodio University, Sokoto (UDUS), having the highest number of 22 and 16 abandoned projects. It also found that over 60 per cent of the projects were being funded by TETFUND, while the abandoned projects were funded by the NDDC
and IGR. The committee faulted the non/partial release of capital votes by the federal government to federal universities and the lack of investment of most state governments in capital projects in universities owned by them. This, it discovered, has made some state universities largely depended on TETFUND for capital projects. University governance structure Though acknowledging challenges of inadequate funding, overpopulation, poor manpower the committee identified leadership as a problem affective the effective running of the universities. It highlighted the constitution of the governing councils of universities as a problem, recommending that its members, especially the prochancellor be carefully chosen by the government as their governance roles are important to the stability of the universities. It stated: “The first is the composition and character of the GOVERNING COUNCILS, especially the external members, among them the Pro-Chancellor, appointed by Government. They need to be carefully chosen and saddled with clear tasks that they must accomplish ab initio. The integrity of Councils is central to the rejuvenation of our universities.”
Prof Ojerinde (fourth left) and Dr Sijubomi (third left) with other officials of JAMB and FCE
JAMB picks FCE for e-UTME
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HE officials of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) have visited the Federal College of Education (Technical), Akoka, in Lagos, as part of its preparations towards computerising its Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in 2013. The delegation, led by the board’s Registrar, Prof. Dibu Ojerinde, was at the college to ascertain the school’s capacity to accommodate the new development. According to Ojerinde, the college was one of the many centres already penciled by the board to conduct the examinations otherwise called EUTME. Listing the benefits of the new system, Ojerinde said it would ensure prompt delivery of raw scores, eliminate case of incomplete results, eliminate result blackout, and controls examination malpractices, among others. Passing a vote of confidence on the
•Students’ toilets
By Adegunle Olugbamila
college for its capacity to provide the needed support, Ojerinde commended the institution’s management for what he called the modest development recorded so far. He therefore promised more meetings between the college and the board to facilitate smooth take-off of the initiative. Commenting, the college’s Provost, Dr. S. Olusanya, commended JAMB for the innovation and
pledged his support towards its success. Meanwhile, JAMB has made the computer-based testing system optional for the pilot scheme but plans to go online fully by 2015. Also, as part of the new initiatives by the body, all applicants regardless of their courses of choice or method of testing would have to be tested on two general reading books: The Successors by Jery Agada and The Potter’s Wheel by Chukwuemeka Ike.
Association to hold party MEMBERS of Osogbo Grammar School (Set ‘75) will hold their End-ofYear party on December 1 at 11 am at Brymor Hotel, Osogbo, Osun State capital. Its Financial Secretary, Tunji Jaiyeola, who described the event as historic, said it would be the first time members would hold a party in the last 30 years. He enjoined them to attend with their wives and children, saying a lot of gifts await them.