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Association applauds Nigeria’s quiet diplomacy over Turkey crisis
NAN-H-28
Association
By Monday Ijeh
Abuja, Dec. 1, 2016 (NAN) Mr Cemal Yigit, President, Association of Turkish People in Nigeria (ATPEN), has commended the quiet diplomacy adopted by the Federal government in resolving knotty issues affecting Nigeria over Turkey’s failed coup.

Yigit hailed Nigeria’s “matured diplomacy’’ on Thursday in Abuja in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

He said the calmness and the “African wisdom” adopted by Nigerian Government when some of its citizens were detained by the Turkish Government after the failed coup attempt was worthy of commendation.

He said the pressure mounted on Nigerian government to close down businesses of some Turks accused of being involved in the country’s failed coup was enough for any country to compromise.

“Your wisdom in Africa is something else; you do your own with diplomacy and I am sure Nigeria is showing its reaction to the Turkish authority.

“Unlike other countries, you don’t speak out everything, you deal with the problem in your own way and I do really respect your approach.

“When there was pressure from President Erdogan that businesses be closed, Nigeria calmly and diplomatically ask for evidence.

“It is a proof that Nigeria is a sovereign state and a proof that the country cannot be manipulated,” he said.

Yigit advocated patience as the only way to restore normalcy in Turkey, adding that it can take the country another 15 years to recover from its crisis.

“We have to be patient because there is no other way out and most importantly activism is very necessary and that is what we are doing right now.

“Erdogan has managed to mobilise about half of the country’s population and are ready to die for him while the other half are being prosecuted.

“With this division, we are not expecting that the problem will be solved in the next election and cannot be reversed before 2019,” he said.

Yigit said the problem in Turkey was not only political but that the current government had broken the country’s social fabric.

“Social cohesion is deliberately harmed, so even if we have good politicians promising good things, there are enemies on the streets,” he said. (NAN)
IMC/DO/MST

Edited by David Onilede/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

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Violence
Yola, Dec. 1, 2016 (NAN)  Haruna Furo, the Executive Secretary of Adamawa State Emergency Management Agency (ADSEMA),says no case of gender violence has been recorded in any Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in the state.

Furo made the disclosure on Thursday at Malkohi Camp in Yola while recieving the Federal Commissioner of  National Commission For Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCRMI), Hajiya Sadiya Umar, who had visited the camp.

He  said officials of the camps were made up of responsible personnel who were committed to their duties.

All  children of school age in the camp, he said, had been enrolled in nursery and primary schools sited in the camp.

He also said the Malkohi camp has a total 1, 499 persons which included 835 women.

According to him, among the IDPs in the camp are 11 physically challenged persons, 101 widows, 20 unaccompanied children, 23 pregnant women and 132 lactating mothers.

Assuring of the state government’s commitment to supporting the IDPs, he said some had been enrolled in skills acquisition programmes in the camps.

In her remarks, Umar, who was in the camp to present relief materials donated by the commission, lauded the role of ADSEMA and other agencies providing support to IDPs.

Umar said the commission would continue to partner with the agency and other stakeholders in ensuring the welfare of IDPs.

“We are going to  look into areas that you have some challenges so that we can assist you,’’ Umar said. (NAN)
YMU/OJO
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(Edited by Mufutau Ojo)

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Access
Lagos, Dec. 1, 2016  (NAN) Stakeholders in education  have accused private universities in Nigeria of failing  to bridge the gap in access to university education for Nigerians.

They also said in interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that some private universities awarded degrees to undeserving students and charged outrageous fees.

Prof. Elkanah Oyetunji, a lecturer in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Lagos State University,  said the standard of teaching in private universities was not comparable with what obtained in public universities.

“Studies from researchers show that graduates from private universities cannot be compared with those from government universities.

“But the best way to prove their ability is to subject their students to a test after graduation.

“The standard of education in the private and public universities is not the same and that is why the private universities probably produce more first class graduates than the public ones,’’ he said.

According to him, no parent or vice-chancellor can direct a lecturer to modify students’ results in public universities.

“If a student does not meet JAMB requirement, he or she cannot be admitted into a public university,’’ he said.

Oyetunji also said that private universities gave concession to admission seekers because they were looking for students as there were minimum numbers of students an institution must have to economically run some programmes.

The lecturer also faulted the recent approval granted eight new private universities by the Federal Government.

He said that ‎adequate funding of existing universities should be the focus of the government rather than licensing more private universities.

“I believe if the existing universities are well funded, optimal education standard can be achieved ‎at lower cost,’’ he said.

‎Oyetunji said private universities were set up for business, as the belief “is that education is very expensive, which explains why many of them are expensive”.

According to him, many of the private universities do not have facilities like the government universities.

‎The professor said that no private university could acquire facilities like those owned by government because their aim was to make profit on investment.

“That is the reason why we must not allow the public universities to break down ‎like the public primary and secondary schools.

“We must all support the Academic Staff Union of Universities in its fight to keep the public universities standing,’’ he said.

A parent, Mr Kayode Ajibola, said  private universities had not bridged the gap of access to admission “because they are not affordable to average Nigerians’’.

Ajibola said while the existing private universities were still seeking for patronage, licensing eight new ones was a wrong decision by the government.

He said the standard of education in the private universities could not be compared with the public ones because they could not acquire the required facilities and employ qualified staff.

“Many of the private universities depend on lecturers from the public universities, as part-time or sabbatical lecturers, to help in running their courses.

“That is why students in such private institutions can never fail, even if they ought to, because they have paid for their results with the outrageous tuition charged,’’ he said.

Chief Adeolu Ogunbanjo, Deputy President of the National Parent Teachers Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN), also said some private universities awarded degrees to undeserving students.

Ogunbanjo said: “Although, this is an allegation, but then, there is need for government to take it seriously and investigate.’’

The deputy president of the association, however, expressed the view that Nigeria needed more universities.

“I do not think the additional eight new private universities, recently approved by the Federal Government, is out of place.

“Look at a situation where only about 20 per cent or less out of over 1.5 million Nigerian children, who sit for UTME every year, gain admission into universities.

“That is worrisome and that is why these private universities come handy.

“But my only worry is that they must also strive to play the rules by maintaining high standard and charge moderate fees.

“That is why some Nigerians are of this opinion that one hardly sees a graduate from a private university with a third class degree.

“They think that because of the high fees paid by these students the only way to compensate them is by giving them at least a second class degree,’’ he said.

He said  the establishment of more private universities would drive competition and subsequently engineer fees reduction in the near future.

“There must be a standard benchmark to be followed by all if we intend to compete with other top rated universities in other climes.

“Just because we need more access and quality education to satisfy the yearnings of our children does not mean we should settle for less,’’ Ogunbanjo said.

A parent, Mrs Joan Ademola, said more private universities would not bridge the gap in admission access because many of them were open for business to make huge profit.

“I think the Federal Government should expand the carrying capacity of existing tertiary institutions instead of creating new ones that will not provide access to children of the poor.

“Our education system is already in comatose.

“Giving too much priority to private education will continue to affect the standard of education.

“Most of the private institutions do not operate with approved standard;  inadequate lecturers, no laboratories and hostel accommodation,’’ she said. (NAN)
Reporters/AIB/JCE

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Edited by Abdulfatah Babatunde/Chukwudi Ekezie

NAN-H-73

Tariff

By Sandra Umeh

Lagos, Dec. 1, 2016 (NAN) A Lagos based activist, Mr Kabir Akingbolu on Thursday urged a Federal High Court Lagos to declare unlawful, the planned increment of data tariff by telecommunication companies.

Apart from the NCC, the telecom firms listed as defendants are MTN, Airtel, Etisalat and Globacom Limited.

The tariff increment, which was allegedly ordered by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), is billed to become effective from Dec. 1.

In a supporting affidavit, the lawyer said that given the unambiguous provision of Section 4 (1) (b) of the NCC Act, the Commission was under obligation to safeguard the interests of consumers against unfair practices.

He averred that due to the indispensable nature of data, it was provided freely in better economies of the world, while in other climes, it was provided at the most subsidised rate imaginable.

He avers that Nigeria was not different from other climes, adding that the increment came at a time the country was going through a tough economic situation.

According to the applicant, if allowed to stand, the increment will not augur well, as life will become more frustrating for subscribers.

He therefore, wants the court to hold that the planned increment was illegal, unlawful and would constitute hardship for the citizenry.

No date has, however been fixed for hearing of the new suit.

However, NCC on Wednesday said it has suspended any further action on the directive to introduce price floor for data segment of the telecommunications sector beginning from Dec. 1.

The Director, Public Affairs, NCC, Mr Tony Ojobo, who this announced in a statement in Lagos, said that the decision to suspend the directive was taken after due consultation with industry stakeholders and the general complaints by consumers across the country.

Ojobo said that the commission had weighed all of these and consequently asked all operators to maintain the status quo until the conclusion of study to determine retail prices for broadband and data services in Nigeria.

(NAN)

UNS/EEE

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Edited by Ese E. Ekama

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Fees
Abuja, Dec. 1, 2016 (NAN)  Some Nigerians say that high fees in private universities are hindering the efforts of Nigerians to acquire higher education.

The expressed the view in a survey conducted by the News Agency of Nigeria.

Two lecturers in Abia, Mr John Ndukauba  and Rev.- Fr. Christian Anokwuru, said high fees charged by private universities limited university admission to the rich.

They said that the development had dimmed the hope that the establishment of private universities would ease the difficulties experienced by students in gaining university admission.

“On the contrary, recent statistics released by the National Universities Commission showed that the gaps in university admissions are still there,” Ndukauba  said.

Ndukauba, who teaches Mass Communication at Rhema University, a private institution in Aba,  said that fees charged by private universities ranged from about N400,000 to N500,000.

He wondered how many parents could afford to send their wards to such institutions in view of the fees.

Ndukauba, however, said that the fees could be justified on account of the huge investment on  equipment and infrastructure  in private universities.

Commenting on the number of first class graduates churned out by private universities,

he said the development was based on the  seriousness and commitment of both the students and lecturers.

Ndukauba said that because of the size of the students in private universities, it was easy for the lecturers to manage them.

He said the quality of the lecturers in private universities could not be doubted, considering that  majority of them came from public universities.

Also Anokwuru, who teaches at Abia State Polytechnic, Aba, said exorbitant fees in private universities had further compounded the problem of university admission for students from poor homes.

He said that proprietors of private universities were striving to attain the highest standard possible and as such could not afford to compromise on the quality of the lecturers.

The Public Affairs Director of Tansian University, Umunya, Anambra, Mr Chidi-Peters Okorie, said  the emergence of private universities came as a result of difficulties in getting admission in public universities.

“The present day admission process of the public universities is fraught with bureaucracy, nepotism and corruption that explains why more students on their own prefer private universities,’’ he said.

Okorie said parents preferred their wards attending private universities to the public schools to check incessant strikes, disruption in academic calendar and unnecessary prolongation of programmes.

“It is not true that all private universities collect huge tuition fees like N1.5 million, one million naira, etc.

‘’In Tansian University we collect N250,000 tuition which includes accommodation within an academic calendar for the student,’’ he said.

A former commissioner for Education in Ebonyi, Dr Agha Okoro, said private universities had opened up the academic space for students.

“The liberalisation of university education is one of the best things that have happened to the education industry.
“Many of these private owned universities are known to have excelled in terms of academic performance and the quality of graduates they produced,” Okoro said.

Mr Charles Nweke, a student at a private University in Anambra said the universities employed qualified teaching and non-teaching staff contrary to negative perception in some quarters.

“University education is all about impartation of functional education, research and manpower development which private higher institutions are established to achieve.

“It is an error for anyone to think that private universities compromise set standard and yet their products are hot chase in the labour market.

“The curricula used by the private universities are the same uses by government owned universities since they all got approval from NUC,’’ Nweke said.

Mr Okorie Igwenwonu, a retired permanent secretary in Ebonyi, said private universities were competing favourably with their government counterparts in terms of teaching, learning and research.
Igwenwonu whose two children graduated from  Madonna University, Okija, a private university,  admitted that the tuition fees in private universities were high.

“I have two graduates trained in the Madonna University in Anambra state. They never came home as a result of any strike action or students’ unrest.

“Apart from maintaining high level of academic excellence, the school also upholds high moral values which helps graduates of the institution to excel, ” he said.

Another parent,  Mr Alex Orji, however called for government ‘s intervention in the fees charged by  private universities to make admission affordable for ordinary Nigerians.

“Most of the universities our people go to study abroad are privately-owned and yet they have international recognition.

“The idea of granting licence to private individuals to establish private universities is a good development because it will increase the chances of number of people.

“My only problem is that the tuition fees in these schools are always on the high side and thereby limit entry only to the children of the rich and wealthy,” Orji said. (NAN)
Reporters/JCE
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Edited by Chukwudi Ekezie

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Traffic
By Carol V. Utulu
Asaba, Dec. 1, 2016 (NAN) The Delta Police Command has inaugurated a road traffic control management programme for the Yuletide to ensure a hitch-free flow of traffic on major roads in the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the programme, Ember Months Traffic Control Management, was an initiative of the command in collaboration with the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) in the state.

Speaking at the inauguration on Thursday in Asaba, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Zanna Ibrahim, said the programme was borne out of the need to check the perennial traffic problems  on the highway during Christmas.

Ibrahim, who was represented by the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) in-charge of Operations, Mr Undie Adie, said the road traffic management team comprised of officials of the police and FRSC.

“Today, we are flagging-off our ember month road traffic control management programme with the inauguration of a team of officials of the police and the Federal Road Safety Corps.

“The initiative behind the programme was borne out of our previous experiences in traffic situation on the Lagos-Onitsha road every festive season.

“So, with the inauguration of the traffic team today, we intend to manage the traffic at every major U-turn on the expressway,’’ he said.
The police boss, who reiterated the commitment of the police to ensuring safety and security on the highways, urged motorists to avoid drunk driving on the roads while passengers must always monitor drivers.

“As a driver, you should avoid drunk-driving because majority of accidents on our roads are caused by carelessness.

“ Also, as a passenger, you should monitor the drivers because if he is wrong, your life is involved,” he said. (NAN)
CVU/IKU/OJO
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(Edited by Tayo Ikujuni/Mufutau Ojo)

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Quality

Abuja, Dec. 1, 2016 (NAN) Prof.  Riskuwa Shehu,  a former Vice-Chancellor of Uthman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto, says private universities in Nigeria lack qualified academic and non-academic staff to offer quality education.

Shehu, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria  (NAN) in Ilorin said that most senior teaching staff in private universities were either employed on sabbatical, visiting or on adjunct basis.

He said such situation existed because the institutions had difficulty in attracting quality staff.

The professor of Biochemistry, however, said private universities had more stable academic system because of governance structure.

According to him, they have more stable system compared to the public sector institutions.

He added that they were smaller in size in terms of demand for upkeep and maintenance of standard.

“The proprietors of such institutions have a way of reducing pressure from the workers of the institutions.

“ Honestly speaking, you find out that the private institutions in this country are mostly driven by the workforce in the public sector,” he said.

Prof. Jude Udenta of Enugu State University of Science and Technology, said private universities had bridged the admission gap for prospective and provided spaces but could not vouch for the quality of graduates.

“They have done well in absorbing myriad of admission seekers.

‘’However, I cannot clearly attest to their quality notwithstanding the number of first class students they produce since most of their students are those who get lower grades in JAMB exams,’’ he said.

Udenta, a Professor of Government and Public Administration, said most private universities depended on retired lecturers, ad-hoc lecturing staff or lecturers got from faith-based organisations since they could not pay their lecturers well.

“If, you see any sound and young lecturer in there, it might be due to lack of job.

‘’The same lecturer definitely will leave anytime he gets an appointment in any public university due to minimal pay at the private universities,’’ he said

The professor added:  “just few of them are coming into the academic sector with innovations to match the towering gap and academic excellence government-owned universities have attained so far over the years.’’
On her part, a professor of Mass Communication at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Prof. Kate Omenugha, said private universities were bridging the gap created by the inadequate number of spaces in public universities.

Omenugha, who is the Commissioner for Education in Anambra, said the quality of private universities was high since they operated on the guidelines of the Nigeria University Commission (NUC).

She advocated constant accreditation and reaccreditation by NUC to ensure that they conformed to the standards on which they were approved.

“It is purely personal, some of them are good, others are not too good but that also applies in the public university products.

“There is need to continually monitor the private universities through accreditation and reaccreditation to ensure that the standards are not compromised,” Omenugha said.
An undergraduate student at the Alhikmah University, Ilorin, Miss Lydia Epelle-Oko,  said the high school fees charged by private universities often discouraged many parents from  sending  their children to the institutions.

A parent, Dr Rex Olawoye,  said the exorbitant fees charged by private universities had adversely affected  their students’ intake.

He said most parents preferred their children attending public universities to the private schools because of the low fees paid in the former.

Olawoye, a pharmacist,  said few parents who sent  their children to  private universities did so because of their uninterrupted academic life.

“Despite this, however, admission into the private universities is still very low, chiefly because of high fee and fewer academic staff.

“I don’t think the quality of teaching at the private universities is lower than that of the public ones because lecturers at these private universities are eminently qualified,” he added.

An educationist, Mr Samuel Adejobi, advised the Federal Government to exercise more control over private universities to promote academic excellence in the institutions.

Adejobi said the Federal Government must critically assess the performance of the private universities with a view to considering whether or not they were lifting admission burden from the public universities.

He said although private universities were expanding access to admission, the margin was slim because of the fees they charged.

“It is unfortunate that the proprietors of the institutions are mainly driven by monetary gains at the expense of  quality and standard.

“Many of them lack proper structure for governance and administration,” he said.

Adejobi said that the private universities still faced  challenges of attracting quality and experienced lecturers on permanent basis.

“Many of their senior lecturers are either visiting or on sabbatical,” he said.  (NAN)
Reporters/JCE
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Edited by Chukwudi Ekezie

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Certificates

By Sunday John

Keffi (Nasarawa State), Dec. 1, 2016 (NAN) The Nasarawa State University, Keffi, has commenced  issuance of original certificates to the past six sets of its  graduates.

Prof. Mohammed Mainoma, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in keffi, Keffi Local Government Area of the state.

Mainoma said the original certificates of graduates of the institution from 2009 to 2015 were ready adding that interested graduates should apply for them through the office of the Registrar.

“The usual procedure is that an institution will  only commence issuance of original certificates to its graduates after convocation is held.

“The fact that the Nasarawa State University, Keffi, has not held convocation for those who graduated from the institution since 2009, does not mean they cannot get their original certificates.

“So, the Senate and other organs of the university have already approved their results and the original certificates have been printed, awaiting graduates to come and collect them,” he added.

Mainoma explained that graduates were not responsible for the inability of the university to hold convocation so they could not be made to suffer the consequences.

“So many organisations had threatened to withdraw the services of our graduates for their inabilities to provide original certificates, hence, the need for this decision,”  he said.

Mainoma said that the university was unable to hold its convocation due to financial constraint, adding that the institution was having a shortfall of over N100 million monthly to pay staff salaries.

He added that the institution owed a debt of over N2 billion as allowances for both academic and non-academic staff of the institution since 2011.

Mainoma, however, commended the Nasarawa and Federal Governments for supporting the university in terms of manpower development and provision of infrastructure.

He said there were 13 TETFund projects in the university, out of which eight had been completed with five ongoing.

Mainoma also said that over 100 staff of the university were currently undergoing various local and international trainings courtesy of TETFund. (NAN)

SDJ/ORO/PAD
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Edited by Razak Owolabi, Peter Dada

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Appointment

By Muhammad Nasir Bello

Sokoto, Dec. 1, 2016 (NAN) The Sokoto State House of Assembly, on Thursday, confirmed the appointment of the  immediate past Head of Civil Service, Alhaji Bature Shinkafi, as the Chairman of the state Civil Service Commission.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Assembly also confirmed the appointment of Alhaji Isa Kebbe, as a permanent member of the commission.

This development followed the recommendation of the House Committee on Public Service Matters after screening the appointees.

The committee’s chairman, Alhaji Kabiru Ibrahim (APC- Kware), while presenting the report, said all the nominees were found to be men of proven integrity, competence, dedication, honesty and loyalty.

“The appointees were found to be tested and trusted technocrats and if given another chance, they would bring their vast experiences to have positive impact on the state civil service.

“The committee, has therefore, recommended to the Assembly that the nominees be confirmed as chairman and member of the state civil service commission,” Ibrahim, said.

The Speaker, Alhaji Salihu Maidaji, said that the recommendations were duly considered and approved accordingly for onward presentation to the executive.

In another development, the Assembly has received a petition against the Chairman, Rabah Local Government, Alhaji Lawalli Gandi and two others.

NAN reports that the petition was presented by Alhaji Abdullahi Zakari (APC- Rabah), on behalf of ‘Concerned Citizens for Good Governance’.

Zakari said, “the petitioners are complaining of financial improprieties, non-payment of staff salaries and embezzlement of public funds”.

The Speaker then referred the petition to the House Committee on Public Petition and Public Service Matters.

In his reaction, the council chairman, Gandi, denied knowledge of the petition and stated that the Local Government was not officially served with a copy of the petition.

”The Local Government will, however, investigate the matter and take necessary action,” the chairman added.(NAN)

MNB/BRM/YEMI

World AIDS Day: Kano Govt pledges support to people living with HIV

NAN-HG-6

AIDS

By Aisha Ahmed

Kano, Dec. 1, 2016 (NAN) The Kano State Government has renewed its commitment to support people living with HIV/AIDS in the state.

The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Kabiru Getso, made the commitment on Thursday at a news conference to mark this year’s World AIDS day.

He said that Kano’s population was responsible for the high rate of HIV with sero-prevalence standing at about 2.1 per cent, which was below the national average of 3.6 per cent.

The 2.1 per cent if translated, the commissioner said, could be about 280,000 people living with the virus, with about 258,341 of them receiving treatment in 51 comprehensive sites.

The 2016 theme of the day, which was tagged “Access equity right now”, has called for a collective action to address the virus, according to him.

Getso charged all stakeholders to unite and reach people that lack access to treatment and support, in addition to uniting to overcome injustice, exclusion and discrimination.

He further called on the stakeholders to unite and repeal of any law that infringed on people’s human rights, and to seek equal participation as far as HIV status was concerned.

The Ganduje administration, he said, had increased funding for HIV and has procured tests kids and antiretroviral drugs as well as other consumables for HIV testing worth more than N4 million. (NAN)

AAA/MST/MST

Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola