Author: premier radio premier radio

NAN-H-42

Appointment

By Abdulfatah Babatunde

Lagos, Nov. 17, 2017 (NAN) The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has appointed a Nigerian, Ms Cynthia Samuel-Olonjuwon as its Assistant Director-General and Regional Director for Africa.

Guebray Berhane, the Senior Communication Officer of ILO Regional Office for Africa in Abidjan, announced the appointment in a statement e-mailed to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Lagos.

The appointment, confirmed after due consultation with its governing body, takes effect from Nov. 10.

“Guy Ryder, the Director-General of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), after having duly consulted the Officers of the Governing Body, has appointed Cynthia Samuel-Olonjuwon of Nigeria as Assistant Director-General and Regional Director for Africa, in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire with effect from Nov. 10, 2017,’’ the statement read.

Until her new position, Samuel-Olonjuwon was the Deputy Regional Director for Africa, a post she held since July 15, 2016.

She joined the ILO in 1995, where she held different positions in the field and Geneva, including Chief of the ILO Programming Unit for Africa and Deputy Director of the ILO Office in Pretoria.

She has been a member of the senior management team of the ILO Regional Office for Africa for more than nine years.

The Nigerian has played an important role in the development and implementation of regional strategies to deliver quality programmes, fostering opportunities for cooperation, particularly with the African Union and Regional Economic Communities, and alliance building throughout the region.

Born in 1961, Samuel-Olonjuwon holds a B.Sc in Sociology and a Masters’ Degree in Industrial and Labour Relations from the University of Ibadan.

With more than 32 years experience in the world of work, she had worked as Assistant Director of the Nigerian Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA).

She also worked as a lecturer on gender, industrial sociology and group dynamics at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

Ms Samuel-Olonjuwon was appointed to the Board of the International Sociological Association (Research Committee on Women in Society) from 1986 to 1990.

She has significant experience in leadership, management and strategic partnerships to promote decent work and development outcomes at regional, sub-regional and national levels. (NAN)

AIB/YAZ
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Edited by Abdulfatah Babatunde

NAN-H-6
Allocation
By Reporters
Lagos, Nov. 17, 2017 (NAN) Some educationists on Friday called on state governments and private operators to complement federal allocation to education in 2018 to achieve the UNESCO-recommended 26 per cent of the total budget.

In interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, the educationists said that state governments and private sector operators must join hands to develop the sector.

NAN reports that President Muhammadu Buhari, on Nov. 8, presented a national budget proposal of N8.612 trillion to the National Assembly.

A total of N605.8 billion was allocated to education, representing 7.04 per cent of the total budget.

The allocation comprised N435.1 billion for recurrent expenditure, N61.73 billion for capital expenditure and N109.06 billion for the Universal Basic Education Commission.

The Head of National Office (HNO) of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), Mr Olu Adenipekun, said that education funding should not be left for the Federal Government alone.

“If the federal government should bring its quota and the state and private sector do the same, we will surpass the 26 per cent benchmark set by the UNESCO for every nation,’’ he said.

According to Adenipekun, Nigerians should look at the budget holistically before advancing arguments for or against the federal allocation.

“We must all learn to approach issues holistically. Funding of education should not rest solely on the federal government.

“We must ensure we all play our parts well so that together, with the efforts of the federal government, we can achieve the desired turnaround in the sector.

The National Parent-Teacher Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN) also urged the federal and state governments to improve education funding.

Chief Adeolu Ogunbanjo, a Deputy National President of the association, told NAN that the proposed allocation to education for 2018 would not accelerate transformation of the sector.

He said that there was rot in infrastructure in all the three levels of education particularly in the primary and secondary levels.

“It is time for us to wake up and be very responsive to our education system.

“We are all familiar with the dilapidation of structures in our schools, from the primary up to the university level.

“There are hardly any good libraries and laboratories in our schools; even where they exist, they are not well-equipped,’’ he said.

According to him, state Universal Basic Education Boards are doing well to develop education but should step up efforts.

A Senior Lecturer, Prof. Aloy Ejiogu, told NAN that the proposed allocation to education fell short of UNESCO’s recommendation.

Ejiogu, who lectures in the Department of Educational Management, University of Lagos, said that more funding would be required to add value to the quality of education in Nigeria.

He said that there was the need for the Federal Government to place premium on education quality education rather than quantity.

Mr Femi Adesanya, also a Senior Lecturer, urged the National Assembly to increase the allocation to education to at least 20 per cent before passing the proposed budget bill.

Adesanya, who teaches in the Department of English and General Studies, Federal College of Education (Technical), Akoka, Lagos, told NAN that the seven per cent allocation proposed for education was inadequate.

He told NAN that the allocation would not be able to make a significant impact in the sector.

According to him, no nation can develop without educated minds; therefore, governments should tackle challenges facing the education sector by improving its funding.

“The National Assembly should wake up to its responsibility and increase the allocation to the sector,’’ he said.

Dr Adekunle Idris, the immediate past Chairman of  Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Lagos State University (LASU) Chapter, also expressed dissatisfaction at the budgetary allocation.

He said that successive administrations did not allocate enough funds to the sector.

“It is really sad because, at the end of the day, the actual implementation will be a far cry from the budgeted expenditure,’’ he said. (NAN)

Reporters/AIB/IGO
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Edited by Abdulfatah Babatunde

NAN-H-12
Stakeholders
By Chinyere Nwachukwu
Lagos, Nov. 13, 2017 (NAN) The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) says it will meet with “critical” stakeholders in education on Wednesday to appraise the general conduct of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME)
JAMB spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Lagos that the meeting, scheduled to hold in Abuja, would brainstorm on the conduct of the examination and identify possible areas for review.
Among the stakeholders expected at the meeting were Foreign Affairs Ministry officials, university lecturers, vice- chancellors and rectors of polytechnics, he said.
“We are also expecting top media executives, state commissioners of education and heads of colleges of education.
“Other stakeholders expected at the meeting are labour unions of Nigeria universities such as ASUU, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), among others,’’ he said
Benjamin said the board had held a similar meeting with owners of Computer Based Test (CBT) centres and administrators nationwide to appraise the registration and conduct of the 2017 UTME.
The JAMB Registrar, Prof. Is’haq Oloyede, had during meeting with administrators of the CBT centres announced new measures that would further strengthen the integrity and general conduct of the examination.
Oloyede had also banned the use of pens, wrist watches and other devices as part of the newly introduced measures for the 2018 UTME.
According to him, experience has shown that some candidates were using the devices to perpetrate examination malpractices.
NAN reports no fewer than 617 centres had been accredited nationwide for the examination while 72 others waiting for approval.(NAN)
CCN/AIB/WOJ
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(Edited by Abdulfatah Babatunde/Wale Ojetimi)

NAN-H-12
Successor
By Taire Okudolo

Lagos, Nov. 10, 2017 (NAN) Prof. Rahamon Bello, the outgoing Vice-Chancellor, University of Lagos, says he is confident that his successor will build on his achievements.

Bello gave the assurance at a forum with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

Bello, the 11^th vice-chancellor of Unilag, will end his five-year tenure on Saturday.

He will be succeeded by Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic).

“I thank Allah for the opportunity to head one of the best universities in the world.

“The person taking over from me is not new to the institution’s administration at the highest level because he was one of my deputies for more than two years.

“My successor is grounded in Unilag culture in all facets” he said.

Bello said that he would want Ogundipe to improve online checking of students’ results.

“Today, parents can check their wards’ performances online; this is a project my successor was much involved in nurturing.

“He will also have to improve on staff welfare by sustaining the policy of not paying a percentage of salary in a month as some institutions do.’’

Bello said that his successor understood the importance of leadership development among students.

“I am sure he appreciates what we have done so far to revitalise students’ unionism and ensured it serves its purpose and not be a source of advancing deviant behaviour.’’

He urged sustenance of the meeting of the university’s management and workers’ unions.

“This has been a very viable medium to maintain industrial harmony in our university,” he told NAN.

He described the position of a vice-chancellor as tension-soaked but expressed satisfaction that his administration was result-oriented. (NAN)

PTI/AIB/IGO
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Edited by Abdulfatah Babatunde/Ijeoma Popoola

NAN-H-9

Training

By Yinka Olawale

Lagos, Nov. 10, 2017 (NAN) The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) says it has committed more than N35 billion in training 1,172,700 primary school teachers across the country in the last seven years.

The Executive Secretary of the commission, Dr Hamid Bobboyi, made the disclosure on the side-line of a summit organised by Education Writers Association of Nigeria (EWAN) on Friday in Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Bobboyi, represented by his Deputy, Dr Sharon Oviemuno also said the commission had constructed e-libraries in unity colleges.

“The commission has spent over N35 billion in the training of 1,172,700 teachers across the country between 2009 and 2015.

“It also constructed and handed over 62 e-library complexes to some federal unity colleges and 51 Junior Model Girls Secondary Schools nationwide,’’ he said.

According to him, pursuing manpower and infrastructure development to strengthen basic education is part of the mandate of the commission.

The executive secretary, however, said the strides were being impeded by lack of political will and commitment to basic education by some state governments.

According to him, some of the states have been very slow in accessing matching grants to tackle challenges in the sector, while their budgetary provisions to the sector is also very low.

Bobboyi stressed that the schools system was still bedevilled by security challenges which must be tackled to develop people’s confidence and encourage enrolment.

He said focus must be made to strengthen the capacity of schools to provide spaces to the over 10.5 million out-of-school children in the country.

“We plan to create a 100 per cent access for school-age children to graduate from the Basic Education institutions, possess literacy, numeracy and basic life skills so as to live meaningfully and contribute to national development.

“We also target 100 per cent, basic education schools to have conducive teaching and learning environment.

“In terms of equity, we are striving to eliminate gender disparity in basic education, redress all forms of disadvantages and promote inclusive education.’’

According to him, the commission would also cater for young persons, who for one reason or the other had an interruption in their schooling, through appropriate complementary approaches. (NAN)
OOG/AIB/MZA

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Edited by Abdulfatah Babatunde/Maharazu Ahmed

NAN-HE-4
Unilag
Taire Okudolo
Lagos, Nov. 10, 2017 (NAN) The University of Lagos says it is expanding town/gown relationship by daily providing business opportunities for more than 10,000 Lagos residents.

Prof. Rahamon Bello, the outgoing Vice-Chancellor, made this known at a forum with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

Bello spoke on the institution’s corporate social responsibility to its host, Akoka in Yaba.

“Unilag under my watch enjoys the influx of between 10,000 and 12,000 businessmen and women into the campus to earn a living on daily basis.

“It has also constantly expanded these opportunities in other viable areas for both our immediate neighbours and the larger Lagos residents.

“It is no doubt that Unilag is considered a commercial engine room in Lagos State as a whole,’’ Bello said.

He told NAN that his office treated up to 20 applications daily for opening of kiosks, business centres, restaurants and other forms of businesses.

The vice chancellor said that demands for access to space within Unilag for social events also grew,’’ he told NAN.

Bello said that his administration encouraged research on the needs of the host community.

“A large number of people outside the university enjoy healthcare services in the university’s healthcare facilities at Idi-araba and other places.

“ These facilities are made available to the public at very low rates.

“Everybody knows in Nigeria that our laboratory services to the public are cheap, affordable, credible and reliable.’’

Bello added that the university’s sports complex was always a beehive of activities.

“Many outsiders come to do physical exercises; many come to play basketball, football and even rugby.”

NAN reports that Bello, the 11th Vice-Chancellor of the university, came into office in 2012, following the death of the then Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Adetokunbo Sofoluwe.

His tenure ends on Saturday.

He will be succeeded by Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, the university’s Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic) (NAN)

PTI/AIB/IGO

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Edited by Abdulfatah Babatunde/Ijeoma Popoola

NAN-H-‎‎‎17
Stabbing
By Vivian Ibobo
Lagos, ‎Oct. 26, 2017 (NAN)‎ Three men, who allegedly stabbed some people for preventing them from robbing accident victims, on Thursday appeared before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court.

The accused — Kehinde Olatunji, 38; Bosun Daleko, 27; and Jide Dada, 33 — whose addresses were not provided, are facing a four-count charge of conspiracy, damage, stealing and assault.

The Prosecutor, Insp. Eruada Victor told the court that the trio committed the offences on Sept. 16 on Akinyele Road, Ipaja, a Lagos suburb.

According to him, the accused conspired and assaulted the complainants — Olaniyan Olawunmi and Abati Dare — by stabbing them on their hands.

“The accused stabbed the complainants because they did not allow them to rob some accident victims they rescued.

“In the process, the accused damaged a Toyota Camry car with registration no. EKY 673 DQ (the back windscreen and side glass), all valued at N26,000, belonging to the complainants.

“The accused also stole an iPhone 7 valued at N337,000, a Nokia phone valued at N26,000 and a cash of N20,000,” Victor told the court.

The offences contravened Sections 173, 350, 287 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 (Revised).‎

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the accused, if found guilty, may be sentenced to 14 years in jail each, according to the Criminal Law.

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The Magistrate, Mrs G. O. Anifowoshe, granted the accused bail in the sum of N200,000 each with two sureties each in like sum and adjourned the case until Nov. 8 for mention. (NAN)‎

IZU/AIB/DA
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Edited by Abdulfatah Babatunde/Dele Akinsola

(L-R) Mr Lucky Idehen(teacher), Yaduma Divine (Vice President), Adeleke Olumide (President) “The Flourisher” ; Mrs Simi Nwogugu, Executive Director, Junior Achievement Nigeria (JAN); Murtar Sadiya, VP-Production and Blessing Etukudo VP-Marketing.

NAN-H-40
Achievers
By Stellamaris Ashinze
Lagos, Oct. 26, 2017 (NAN) Four students of Noble Height College, Karu, Abuja will represent Nigeria at the Africa Company of the Year competition, organised by Junior Achievement (JA) in South Africa.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the students had won the National Company of the Year competition organised by the Junior Achievement Nigeria in Lagos.

The winners are Adeleke Olumide, Yaduma Divine, Murtar Sadiya and Blessing Etukudo, whose pet-company name is called, ‘The Flourisher.’

They won the first position ahead of eight other schools; drawn from the six geo-political zones in Nigeria.

The students’ ‘The Flourisher’ produced flour from plantain and beans to win the competition.

NAN reports that Junior Achievement Nigeria (JAN) is part of Junior Achievement Worldwide, the world’s oldest and largest non-profit economic education organisation operating in 120 countries.

JAN delivers practical, experimental hands-on programmes under the three pillars of financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship to young people between the ages of five and 27.

In addition to its own original, home-grown programmes, designed to meet the unique needs of Nigerian youth, JAN also has access to hundreds of JA programmes and initiatives tried and tested in several countries that are facing same issues of youth development.

Mrs Simi Nwogugu, the Executive Director of JAN, told NAN on Thursday that the organisation was committed to showcasing the talent of Nigerian students.

Nwogugu said that the students had gone through entrepreneurship training in their schools and formed pet-company for hands-on practice.

According to her, the students have gone through various levels of businesses and the proceeds of their business invested in companies’ shares and for corporate social responsibilities (CSR).

The JAN director said that the CSR and contributions of the students to the nation’s economy were largely used to access them.

“They ran their business for about six months, sold the products and use the proceeds to raise initial capital for their pet-company.

“The student entrepreneurs have written a report on their business, the challenges facing them and how they tackled such,’’ she said.

Nwogugu said JAN, which started in Nigeria about 10 years ago, was the fastest growing non-profit economic educational organisation.

She said that the organisation was designed to inspire innovation in students through entrepreneurship and produced several ‘teenpreneurs’ and ‘youth-preneur’, who are making the positive impact in their communities.

Master Olumide Adeleke, the president of the company, said that he was excited about the performance of his team in the competition.
He said the fit was achieved through hard work and dedication.

Adeleke pledged that his team would make Nigeria proud in South Africa by putting in their best.

He also appeal to the organisers of the JAN programme not to relent in their effort of empowering Nigeria youths.

NAN reports that Caro Favoured schools, with company name “Apex Discovery,” came second while Redeemers International School, with company name “Vue Special”, came third. (NAN)
SKA/AIB/EAL
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Edited by Abdulfatah Babatunde/Ekemini Ladejobi

NAN-H-27

Admission

By Rukayat Adeyemi

Lagos, Oct. 13, 2017 (NAN) Caleb University in Imota,   Lagos State, says its cut-off mark for admission in the 2017/2018 academic session will be 120 as stipulated by Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB).

Its Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Daniel Aina, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Lagos that the cut-off mark was aimed at “liberalising admission” into tertiary institutions and give access to the best candidates.

“The 120 cut-off mark was a joint decision of all Nigeria universities vice chancellors, not the JAMB alone.

“Since universities are still at liberty to conduct Post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) to access their candidates and select the best, we are sure to still have the best students in the system to admit,’’ he said.

Aina said the Post-UTME could not be cancelled in universities as “JAMB score is not enough to test the capability of a student’’.

He said that admission into Caleb University was not only about JAMB scores as there were other criteria the university employed to access candidates before recommending them for admission.

According to him, candidates who choose Caleb University and scored 120 and above would still be interviewed among other processes of selection.

“That a candidate scores 300 or more is not a license to be admitted in Caleb.

“You can score that much and still be denied admission if you have no moral value, while a candidate who scored between 120 and 200 marks may be admitted if he or she has excellent moral value and positive character.

“We do not just want to admit an academic giant, but a moral dwarf, so we ensure that a candidate is certified both academically and morally,’’ he said. (NAN)

RUKY/AIB/TA

Edited by Abdulfatah Babatunde/Tajudeen Atitebi

FG reintroduces History in 2018/2019 academic session
NAN-H-53
History
Oluyinka Olawale/Jacinta Nwachukwu
Abuja, Oct. 10, 2017 (NAN) The Nigeria Education Research and Development Council (NERDC) is set to reintroduce History as a subject, beginning from the 2018/2019 academic session.

The NERDC Executive Secretary, Prof. Ismail Junaidu, told the News agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday that the curriculum is ready.

He said that the subject would now be a standalone curriculum and would be taught from primary one to JSS III.

NAN reports that the National Council on Education had approved the reintroduction of the subject in July.

The executive secretary said that the NERDC had forwarded a sample of the new curriculum for History to the states to give them ample time to plan ahead of its implementation.

“All states are expected to be sensitised and teachers trained on how to use the curriculum before the implementation can begin.

“We need to give the states ample time to put their house in order before we start implementing the curriculum,’’ he told NAN.

According to him, History is already in the senior secondary school curriculum.

He said the implementation would only start after the curriculum had been distributed to states.

“We have begun work on the curriculum because the NCE has given the directive, it will soon get to schools.

“The implementation will commence in the next academic session,’’ he assured.

Junaidu added that the NCE had approved that all efforts should be made to ensure the commencement of History in schools and it will be accomplished.

“By the next academic session (2018/2019), everything will be in place,’’ the executive secretary said. (NAN)
OOG/JIN/AIB/AFA
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Edited by Abdulfatah Babatunde/Felix Ajide