24 EDUCATION | INTERVIEW
Sanctity of Truth
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
NOUN admits 400 freshers at Calabar study centre
Frills as school graduates orphans in Enugu
Clement James
he joy of eight children, who Thome, are inmates of an orphanage Divine Wounds Schools,
Calabar
S
ome 400 fresh men and women admitted by the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) into the Calabar Study Centre have taken the matriculation oath of the distance learning institution. The students admitted into various faculties of the university, took the oath at the 12th matriculation ceremony of the institution, with its main campus at Lagos. Declaring the ceremony open, Dr. Andee Iheme, the Director of Calabar Study Centre of NOUN, advised the students to set their priorities right by shunning all forms of bad association capable of truncating their future.
He said: “Let me specially welcome you into the NOUN family, a family known for its strides in academic excellence and good performance. Therefore, we expect nothing below the NOUN standard from you.” According to him, NOUN is an accessible and affordable university with entry qualifications of five credits including English Language and Mathematics in the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE). While explaining that the university runs a flexible academic programme that meets the needs of the students, Iheme noted that the duration of course at NOUN depends largely on students’ choice of programme and level of study. His words: “All undergraduate programmes in the School
of Arts and Social Sciences, Education and Management, run for a minimum of four years and a maximum of eight years. The LLB in the School of Law and B.Sc. Nursing Science and Resource Management in the School of Science Technology have a minimum of five years and maximum of eight years.” Iheme, who hinted that students of the university are rated very high in academic performance, added that in 2012, NOUN came first in the Law student Moot Court competition organised nationwide, even as he said that NOUN facilitators were drawn from conventional universities in various disciplines. He advised prospective students, especially the working class to take advantage and enroll in the university.
Bishop makes case for security education in schools
Akure
W
orried by the spate of insecurity in the country, the Bishop of Akure Diocese (Anglican Communion), Bishop Simeon Borokini, has advocated the introduction of security education in the nation's school curriculum. Bishop Borokini made the call at the second session of the 11th Synod of the Diocese which took place at IlaraMokin in Ifedore Local Government Area of Ondo State said, the teaching of security as a subject in Nigerian schools should begin from primary school to tertiary level. According to him, the teaching of security would tackle the insurgency ravaging the country and inculcate security consciousness among the people. The clergy urged the Federal Government to intensify efforts on power generation to pave the way for economic development of the country, even as he charged Christians to exhibit brotherly and
sisterly love in order to further give room for peaceful co-existence. In his charge with the theme: "Let Brotherly love Continue", the Bishop said the Federal Government needs to do more in the area of power generation to ensure constant power supply to justify the huge budget being allocated to the sector yearly. He added that the main panacea to the nation's ailing economy is constant supply of power to keep the industries alive and provide job security for the people. His words: "Several families in the country have today become local government on their own, since they buy and maintain their private power generating sets to provide them with electricity; sink their own deep wells or boreholes for the supply of water, employ their house and personal guards to provide them with security". On the state of the nation, Bishop Borokini lamented the level of corruption, saying "Nigeria is one big free-for-
Enugu
established in Umuagbedo-Agu, a rural community in Igbo-Eze North Council Area of Enugu State, knew no bounds last week as they bade farewell to their teachers and other peers. It was at the graduation ceremony of the school, held at the school established by an Anambra State-born Stigmatist, Reverend Sister Martina Oforka. Some of the graduating pupils, who dressed in their graduation gowns and a cap to match and were basking in the euphoria of their completion of their primary school education include 13-year-old Johnpaul Okonkwo from Imo State; twoyear-old Chidera, who graduated from the nursery one session was the cynosure of all eyes as a result of her exemplary performance. Speaking to New Telegraph on the significance of the ceremony which attracted some dignitaries including community leaders, the Proprietress of the school, who also owns the Divine Wound Apostolate said it has been a fulfilling experiencing picking up abandoned babies, orphans and the lessprivileged and working to nurture them into greatness. She explained that there are over 70 inmates in the orphanage home, who are enrolled at her group of schools - nursery, primary and secondary schools
– with a population of over 200 pupils. According to the Proprietor, the inmates who were collected from their mothers for their inability to care for them would be handed over to their mothers after their education when they would have been able to effectively function in the larger society irrespective of the circumstances of their births. Sister Oforka appealed to the government at all levels, particularly the Enugu State Government to come to the aid of the school in the area of provision of infrastructure and facilities, saying the curriculum of the school emphasises skills acquisition in view of the social realities that stare the orphans in the face after graduation. In his remarks, the former Secretary to Igbo-Eze North Council, Mr. Francis Ujah, a special guest at the occasion told New Telegraph that “I can boldly tell you that we can see the hand of Jesus in this our community. I say this because our sister has demonstrated the attributes of Jesus Christ, whom the Bible tells us went about doing good and relating with the wretched of the earth. “In this case of this young woman (Sister Oforka), who has all the opportunities to live in the cities and enjoy all the amenities of modern life, she is now living in this remote community in Enugu state where she takes good care of the lessprivileged, orphans and those she never knew by rekindling in them the hope for life.”
Nobel laureate joins Covenant varsity
Graduating students of Doyen Academy, Enugu during their graduation ceremony
Babatope Okeowo
Uwakwe Abugu
all looting and other corrupt practices”, regretting that virtually all steps taken to fight corruption had failed due to various legislations which are unable to fight the scourge. The Bishop wondered that several court cases instituted for corruption and other sharp practices had not brought any hope to the people, saying politics had become an avenue to loot and plunder the treasury of the country. The Bishop, however, blamed the nation’s leadership for the high corruption situation, even as the clergy noted that as it was right for the people to demand accountability from the governors, it would also be fair on the part of the Federal Government to sit up and fight the scourge. The cleric, however, challenged foreign countries where the nation’s looted wealth are being kept to assist Nigeria by exposing the looters and also block all the avenues for the transfer of the nation’s stolen money to their countries.
Mojeed Alabi Nobel Laureate in EconomAnomic ics and Professor of EcoSciences from the Har-
vard University, United States of America, Professor Eric Maskin, has joined the Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State. He is a Visiting Professor at the Department of Economics, College of Development Studies. The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Charles Ayo, who announced Maskin’s the appointment, said his appointment is an impetus to the university’s quest to be one of the top 10 universities in the world in the next 10 years.
Maskin
According to the Vice-Chancellor, Maskin, who visited the university in May, this year, as the distinguished guest presenter at the Ivory Tower’s First International Conference on African Development Issues (CU-ICADI), will offer a course as well as interact and advise the university on curriculum design and teaching skills. Maskin, who won the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences in 2007, for his work on the Theory of Mechanism Design, has made contributions to many other areas of Economics, including Game Theory, the Study of Intellectual Property Rights, and Political Economy. He was also a recipient of the Eric Kempe Award in 2007 and Harvard University Centennial Medal in the year 2010. Maskin’s current research projects include comparing different electoral rules, examining the causes of inequality, and studying coalition formation. All these, according to Covenant University management, will not only add to the academic standard and glory of the institution, but the country as a whole, saying Nigeria should use the opportunity to of Maskin’s stay at the university to gain from the renowned economist’s wealth of experience.